The Keyblade War
by baylaust
Summary: Three friends go to a mysterious world for a mission. In the end, no one would leave what would become The Keyblade Graveyard alive. OCs. This is about the original Keyblade War. Rated T for violence, mild language, and character deaths. Finally finished.
1. Prologue: The Mission

This is my first story, so don't mind if it isn't that good.

**Characters:**

Drake – 18 years old, short brown hair, blue eyes, torn up sweater, jeans, Hero's Crest

Aaron – 16 years old, black hair, brown eyes, t-shirt, track pants, Oblivion

Amanda – 17 years old, long blonde hair, green eyes, t-shirt and jeans, Fenrir

These three characters represent our heroes. Villains will be made later.

* * *

**The Keyblade War**

**Prologue: The Mission**

Drake was sleeping in his bed at the Sanctuary of Light, his home. He had been made a Keyblade Master a few weeks ago, but he had not been given much work to do despite this. After a hard day of training with his best friends Aaron and Amanda, he almost slept through the bell that was supposed to call the three to their Master's headquarters. Luckily, Richard woke up on the bell's third chime, and his eyes slowly opened. His short, brown hair was ruffled from his sleep, and his dark blue eyes adjusted to the morning sun. The bell rang again, and his eyes shot open.

_Oh snap._

Drake sprung out of bed and began to get changed. He wore his usual outfit: a black sweater with the left sleeve torn off. Under that, he wore a simple white shirt. He wore blue jeans as well, which were also relatively torn up. He then slid his armor pad onto his left arm, and bolted to the meeting room.

**. . .**

Amanda and Aaron were standing at attention. Aaron had black hair and brown eyes. He wore a black t-shirt and black track pants. Despite his odd choice to often wear black, he is hardly a dark person. In fact, out of the three, Aaron would be, bluntly put, the smartass of the group. He didn't have to try hard to get under Drake's skin, but the two were still great friends.

Amanda had long blonde hair and green eyes. She is definitely not a feminine person, wearing a t-shirt and jeans. She was also no weaker than the two boys, being a skilled fighter as well. Drake had a crush on her for as long as he could remember. Aaron often teased him about it... mostly to cover up that he had a crush on her as well. Amanda, however, was oblivious to their feelings, and considered both of them as equal friends.

Amanda was getting worried. "Where's Drake? It's not like him to be late. Usually he's the first one here."

Aaron looked at her. "Don't worry, he'll be here soon.

"How do YOU know?"

Suddenly, Drake rushed in, covered in sweat. Desperately rushing, he sprinted as fast as he could, tripped, fell, slid across the floor, and hit his head on a wall. Aaron didn't even bother turning around.

"Let's call it a sixth sense."

Drake, rubbing his sore head, approached his two friends, smiling goofily. "Hey guys…. did I miss something?"

Aaron's expression remained blank. "Well, a clumsy mule just barged in here and made a complete fool of its self. You really should have been there."

"Your sarcasm gets on my nerves sometimes, you know."

"I try."

"Screw off!"

The three then heard footsteps, and stood at attention. Their master, Xant, approached the three, looking at them in an unreadable glare. However, it was clear he wasn't in a good mood. He turned his attention to Drake first. "Is the show done now, Drake?"

Drake tried to dodge his master's gaze. "Yes, master…"

Master Xant shook his head. "You are a master now, Drake. I would expect a lot more maturity out of you. Also, it would be nice if you could arrive to these meetings in time."

"Yes, master…"

Aaron began to laugh a little bit, and Xant's head immediately turned to face him. "In case you've forgotten, we are a family here, and we do not try to provoke anger from our fellow comrades, is that understood?"

"Yes master…"

Xant finally turned to face Amanda. "And I would have expected such a close friend of these two to not just stand by and watch them argue. Am I right?"

"Yes, master…"

Xant lightened up. "Good. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, I have an extremely important mission for the three of you. The other masters and I have been hearing rumors that there are warriors of darkness approaching, attempting to ambush us. However, we are going to retaliate, and launch a preemptive strike before they can attack. Their forces are gathered on a mysterious world that we have never been to before, so we have no Intel. All we can tell you are the coordinates. So we have decided to send you three to take this mission."

Amanda grew curious. "But why us, master? There are other pupils here, most with far more experience than us."

Xant turned away from them. "True, but you three are different. There is a powerful light residing in your hearts, far stronger than any others in this Sanctuary. There will not be many others there, so it should not prove to be much of a challenge for you three. Do you accept?"

Drake, Aaron, and Amanda stood up straight, their arms to their sides. They simultaneously answered. "Yes, master."

Xant smiled. "I am glad to see that you are all so eager. Well, go now." Xant was about to walk away, when Aaron asked him one last question.

"Master, if you don't mind me asking, what is this world we are going to called"

Xant turned and smiled.

"The Barren Wasteland."

**. . .**

_2 months later…_

Deep within the universe lies the place where the battle took place. It is now known as The Keyblade Graveyard, for good reason. It appears almost as a desert, with nothing but rocky plains as far as the eye can see. In the middle of the world, there is an endless field of Keyblades stabbed into the ground, marking the field where the war took place.

And deep within this field, Drake, Aaron, and Amanda's Keyblades lie with them.

This is the story of the battle that began the Kingdom Hearts saga, the battle that brought so many lives to an end, the battle that these three Keyblade wielders fought valiantly in to save all the worlds, and prevent a weapon of untold power from being created.

This is the story of the Keyblade War.

* * *

So what did you guys think? I know it's short, but I just wanted to set up the plot before I begin to get really in-depth with all this. I'll probably continue making this story if you want me to, so let me know. Also, give me feedback on how to improve my writing. See you later.

baylaust out.


	2. The Arrival

Sup guys? I'm still continuing with my first story here.

Before anyone asks, no, no one from the KH games will be in this story. This IS about 1000 years in the past, after all.

So let us get started.

* * *

**The Keyblade War**

**The Arrival**

Drake, Aaron, and Amanda left the Sanctuary doors and walked to the entrance outside. The three of them looked up to the sky, getting ready for their journey. Drake pointed his Keyblade to the sky, and a beam of light shot from it. The beam stopped midair, and created a portal in the sky. Drake then hit the armor pad on his left arm, and his body was engulfed by light. When his body was invisible again, he was covered in gold armor, with a silver cape. He looked at Amanda. "500 munny says we're back by the end of the night."

Amanda smirked and shook his hand. "You, my friend, have got yourself a bet!" She then turned and activated her own armor, coloured silver, with a brown cape.

Aaron playfully smacked Drake on the back of the head. "I'm in. Seriously, though, just give me the munny now. It'll save you time." Before Drake could respond, Aaron activated his own armor, coloured black with a black cape.

Drake stared at Aaron. "Seriously, what's with you and the color black?"

"I like it. It's my favorite color."

"Black's not a color, it's a shade."

"Do you seriously think I care?"

"Why can't you like a normal color?"

"What if I'm the only one who likes a normal color?"

"That argument can be turned around so easily, I won't even bother."

"Oh no, I'm so scared."

"Why are we still talking about this?"

"I dunno. Let's go."

The three friends tossed their Keyblades into the air, and their respective keys turned into their own personal Keyblade Riders. The three jumped onto their Riders, and flew into the portal, as it closed behind them. Master Xant stood at the Sanctuary of Light's doorway, watching them leave. Smirking, he turned and went back inside.

"Good luck….. you three are going to need it."

**. . .**

Drake, Amanda, and Aaron flew through the lanes in between, slowly and steadily approaching their destination. Drake was momentarily thinking to himself. "You know guys…" Amanda and Aaron looked at him. "After we finish this mission, we should take a break from missions for a while. Go on vacation or something."

Amanda thought about this. "Drake, I see where you're coming from, but we do have a duty. We have to keep the light safe from the darkness, and that's not exactly a job you can just take a break from."

Drake held his head. "Come on, Amanda! Learn to relax a little bit. We can head to Destiny Islands and go swimming or something."

Aaron smiled behind his helmet, and pulled up beside Drake. "Why swimming?" he whispered. "So you can have a chance to see Amanda in a bathing suit?"

Drake glared at Aaron. "Stop" A clock suddenly appeared around Aaron, and he froze in time, as Drake and Amanda flew away at top speed. About 30 seconds later, Aaron returned to Drake's side.

"I hate you."

**. . .**

The three continued flying until they came across a world they had never seen before. Amanda looked at it. "Guys, do you think this is it?"

Drake looked down at the world as well. "The coordinates match, so I guess this is it."

Aaron turned to face the other two. "So what are you two waiting for? Let's get this mission over with, and go home." Aaron flew down to the world's surface, with Drake and Amanda following close behind.

As they approached the mysterious world, they jumped off of their Riders, as they vanished and returned to their Keyblade forms. They landed on the planet's rocky surface, observing their surroundings. The world was completely void of any visible life, and looked almost like a desert. The rocky plains seemed to go on forever and ever, and a hot sun glowed in the sky. Drake pulled his helmet off, as the rest of his armor vanished from his body. Amanda and Aaron did the same. The environment was eerily quiet, with no sound except the light wind blowing though the plains. Drake deeply breathed in and out.

"So this is the Barren Wasteland."

**. . .**

Drake, Aaron, and Amanda walked across the endless desert, coming across no people whatsoever. Amanda was beginning to get impatient. "I really can't believe I'm saying this, but I really wish those warriors of darkness would get off of their asses and give us something to do."

Almost on cue, a portal of darkness appeared in front of the three. Drake, Aaron, and Amanda all summoned their Keyblades, standing in their battle positions. A figure in red armor and a red cape walked out. The figure made no sound, but in it's armor, the person within had glowing yellow eyes. He extended his hand and drew a Keyblade. The three recognized it as the Oblivion. The figure slowly walked torwards Drake, and pointed his Keyblade at him. Drake looked at Amanda and Aaron, and they both nodded.

Drake turned and ran torwards Aaron, grabbing his wrist and hurling him into the sky. Drake then turned and clashed swords with the figure, pushing him to Amanda. Amanda hit him in the stomach with her Fenrir, and uppercutted him into the air. As he flew up, Aaron was falling down, and slammed him with his Keyblade, bringing the figure crashing into the ground. Within one fluent combo, it appeared that the three had managed to subdue the figure.

However, the figure casually got up and brushed some dirt off from his armor. He looked at the three, and turned away, walking into a dark portal. Drake, Aaron, and Amanda withdrew their Keyblades, and Aaron stared at Amanda.

"You had to say something."

* * *

Yes, I know that these first two chapters have been rather short, but hear me out.

Before getting really in depth with the story, I want to develop the characters and see what their friendship is like, as well as how they can work together.

And sorry, but the comedy probably won't last much longer. In the next few chapters, the story will get more dramatic.

Just the way I want it to be.

So leave reviews and tips on how I can improve my writing. baylaust out.


	3. The Encounters

Yes, I'm updating this again. Screw having a life and all that... there's STORIES to be written

So anyway, this is where the story gets a bit more serious. Enjoy.

**

* * *

**

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The Keyblade War

**The Encounters**

After their encounter with the mysterious man in the red armor, Drake, Amanda, and Aaron had not run into any more dark warriors. All three were suspicious; Master Xant had told them that there was going to be several enemies gathering here, preparing for an attack. Well, they had been wandering this world for hours upon hours, and they had yet to run into anyone else other than themselves. Soon, the sun began to set. Drake stopped walking and watched as the horizon was consumed in a red glow. Despite the emptiness of the Barren Wasteland, the sunset looked almost…. beautiful. Drake decided that they were done for the day.

"Alright guys, it's clear that we're not going to run into anyone else at this point. I suggest that we camp out for the night and figure something out tomorrow."

Amanda chuckled. "No problem with that. By the way, you lose the bet. Where's my 500 munny?"

Drake looked away. "Ah, shaddup. I'll get it to you when we finish up on this world. That's a promise."

Amanda smiled and walked away to find a place for them to set up camp. Aaron walked up to Drake. "You know, man, you can't keep this hidden forever. At some point, you're going to have to tell her how you feel, or someone else will get her."

Drake glared at Aaron. He hated it when he tried to horn in on his feelings for Amanda. "Oh, really? Who else would be after her? You?"

_Yes. _"No, Of course not. I respect your feelings for her, and I would never get in the way of them."

"That's bullcrap, and you know it."

_Indeed it is. _"No, really!"

"Why so defensive, Aaron? Do YOU have a crush on her?"

_Yes! Yes I do! I admit it! I finally have it off my chest! I AM NOW A MAN! _"No."

"Alright then, let's go follow her. Today was easy, but prepare for anything. This could get really hard, really quickly."

"Bow-chicka bow wow."

Drake knocked Aaron out with a Strike Raid.

**. . .**

The next morning, the three walked together until they got to a large field of rocky plains. Drake turned to his friends. "Alright guys, we're getting nowhere like this. I think we should split up. We'll cover more ground, and find our targets faster that way. If something happens, head back to this spot as soon as possible and wait for the other two to arrive. Okay?" Aaron and Amanda nodded. The three turned and walked away in different directions.

**. . .**

Amanda found herself on top of a huge cliff, which revealed even more rocky plains below it. She stood at the edge of the cliff, looking at the endless fields before her. _No wonder this place is called "The Barren Wasteland"… I've never seen a world this empty before. Well, maybe there will be something a bit farther ahead._ Wiping sweat from her forehead, Amanda prepared to continue walking.

Suddenly, a dark hole appeared in the ground behind her. Amanda quickly turned and drew her Fenrir. A figure covered in darkness rose from the ground, wielding a Keyblade. The darkness dissipated, and it turned out to be the armored figure from before. Before Amanda could react, the man charged at her and tackled her, knocking both of them off the cliff.

**. . .**

_Well this sucks._

Aaron stood at the ready, holding his Keyblade. Around him stood several dark warriors. Unlike the one he and his friends had encountered from before, these ones weren't armored, but their eyes were unmistakingly gold, showing the darkness within them. They stood in a circle around him, giving Aaron nowhere to ride. Cracking his neck, Aaron activated his armor and brought his Keyblade to his side. "So, looking to die?" Aaron charged at one of the warriors, preparing to clash.

"I can help you with that!"

**. . .**

Drake found himself in one of the many empty fields of the Barren Wasteland, extending in all directions for possible miles. Suddenly, Drake heard something in the distance, as he turned around. He could see a figure far away, but quickly approaching. As the figure drew closer, the noise got louder. Drake suddenly recognized the noise. _Is that a Keyblade Rider?_

The figure sped by on his Rider. While passing by, the person extended its fist, and it connected to his jaw at an insane speed, knocking Drake to the ground. As the figure drove away, Drake got back up. "Oh, no you don't!" Drake jumped into the air and activated his armor, landing on his own Keyblade Rider. In an instant, Drake was quickly following the figure, chasing it down across the plains.

**. . .**

Amanda's body smashed against rocks as she plummeted down the cliff. Desperately, she jabbed her Keyblade into the rocks, as it slowed her falling a little bit. Soon, she saw the armored figure beginning to close the distance between them. As they approached the same level of height, Amanda kicked off of the cliff, clashing swords with the man. Several times their swords clashed, but Amanda was completely unable to gain any sort of advantage over the man. The figure grabbed onto Amanda's neck, and hurled her into the cliff behind her. The impact was brutal, as Amanda felt the jetting pieces of rock cutting across her arms. The figure looked up at her as he continued to fall. Amanda adjusted her angle on the cliff, with her Keyblade stabbed into the rocks. "You're not going to escape!" Amanda kicked herself from the rocks at full force, closing the distance between the two, and clashing swords with the man again.

Their blades grinded together, creating sparks that flew by both of their faces. Amanda tried to look into the man's helmet, but was unable to see anything other than his glowing yellow eyes. "Who... are you?" Rather than respond, the figure simply parried her Keyblade and attempted to stab her. Amanda did a midair flip and managed to get behind the man. Electricity charged through her Keyblade as she pointed it at her opponent. "THUNDER!" A blast of Thundaga energy shot from the end of her Keyblade, and managed to hit the figure directly in the chest, launching him straight through the cliff, leaving a huge hole behind him.

Amanda looked down and saw that she was quickly approaching the ground. Desperately, she activated her armor and stabbed her Keyblade into the cliff. While her armor and the slightly decreased speed helped, they couldn't shield the pain as she slammed into the rocky ground and rolled a good ten meters. Slowly, and very painfully, she picked herself up from the ground, coughing. She tore off her helmet and the rest of her armor vanished. Her body was covered in sweat, dirt, and blood. Her vision blurry, she looked up to see if the armored man had come out yet. Nothing. Downright exhausted, she fell back to the ground, lying on her back.

_What was he?_

**. . .**

Aaron wasn't as strong as Amanda or Drake, and he knew that. However, he was far more acrobatic than the other two, and he would ALWAYS use this to his advantage in combat. Despite this, he would always tend to complain that he wasn't as powerful as his two friends yet.

This time, however, he was not complaining.

As dark warriors charged at him from all sides, not one was able to land a single hit on him, and there were at least fifteen warriors. Aaron, however, was moving like a blur, hitting his enemies weak points, and soon, there were only two left. Aaron rested his Keyblade on his shoulder. "So how about it, guys? Care to call it a draw?"

The two dark warriors looked at each other, and charged to attack.

Aaron sighed. "Always the hard way..." As one of the warriors prepared to attack, Aaron slid right through his legs, and tripped him with a sweep kick. While the man was falling down, Aaron quickly stood up and made a clean slice down through the middle of the man. Before he even touched the ground, his body faded away into darkness. Aaron looked at the last warrior and pointed his Keyblade at him. "Your call."

The final man attempted to slice at Aaron, but he did a somersault and landed doing a handstand on the warrior's shoulders. Putting his feet on the ground, Aaron tossed the man across the ground, and tossed his Keyblade into the air. As the man was about to get up, Aaron's Keyblade fell and landed straight in his stomach. The dark warrior's body went limp, and faded into darkness.

Aaron deactivated his armor and began running, to the place that they promised to meet up.

_I hope the other two haven't run into any trouble..._

**. . .**

Drake rammed against his opponent again, trying to knock whoever it was off of the Rider. They had been dashing across the endless plains, neither able to get an advantage over the other. Drake's enemy, a figure in brown armor and a cape, rammed Drake into a wall of rocks. While Drake's Rider was grinding against the wall, the person grabbed Drake and began dragging his head against the rocky surface. Drake's head rattled with pain through his helmet. Drake barely managed to kick the other warrior away from him. Growing desperate, Drake made a risky move; he jumped off of his Rider and landed on the armored person's. Drawing his Keyblade, Drake knocked the warrior off of the Rider. With both of them on the ground, the two clashed Keyblades with each other. The figure finally spoke in a surprisingly high voice. "You fool!"

Drake's eyes opened up. _A woman?_

"You will not stop me from forging the X-Blade!"

_Forging the... Keyblade?_

The girl sent a Dark Firaga at Drake, which sent him flying to the ground. The girl then vanished into a dark corridor. Drake remained in his armor, getting back up. "Get back here! What did you mean, 'forge the Keyblade'?" Nothing.

Drake then got back onto his Rider and began driving back to his friends' meeting place.

_Aaron, Amanda... I hope you're safe._

* * *

A free cookie if you could spot the Red vs Blue reference

Reviews, and advice on how to improve would be appreciated.

baylaust out.


	4. The Discovery

Well, here's part four. If you look hard enough, you may actually be able to find the plot somewhere.

It's hidden pretty deep though, so it may be hard to locate.

Anyway, enjoy.

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The Keyblade War

**The Discovery**

Aaron waited, and waited, and waited, but no one had arrived yet. He had recently been ambushed by several dark warriors, and as per Drake's instructions, he waited at the place where they had all originally split up to try and find their targets. However, Aaron had been waiting for at least an hour, and neither Drake nor Amanda had arrived yet. Aaron was really beginning to get worried. _Come on guys, where are you? Are you hurt? Maybe I should go and check up on them…_

Just as Aaron was preparing to head off, he heard a familiar sound in the distance; the sound of a Keyblade Rider fast approaching his spot. Within seconds, an armored man arrived and jumped off of the Rider. Aaron smiled. _There's only one guy I know that has gold armor._ The man's armor vanished, revealing Drake underneath it. Aaron ran over to him, and they shared a high five. "Hey man! Where've you been?"

Drake rubbed his head. "Actually, I was ambushed by a dark warrior in armor."

"Was he tough?"

"Yes, _she_ was?"

"A girl? That's odd….. Was she hot?"

"Dude, seriously? How is that relevant to what we're talking about?"

"Hey, it could help me spot her in a crowd… ambush her….. So was she?"

"She was in armor. I already told you that?"

"….so is that a no?"

"You're an idiot."

"I try."

Drake facepalmed. "So how about you? What did you find?"

"Funny you should ask. I was ambushed myself, by fifteen or so guys."

"Any of them in armor?"

"No, but they had yellow eyes. Definitely dark warriors."

"Where are they now?"

"Am I alive?"

"…..yes?"

"Then they're dead."

Drake smirked. Suddenly, he realized something extremely important. "Wait, where's Amanda?"

**. . . **

Far away from them, Amanda was lying on the ground, exhausted from her battle with the armored man. Her normally blonde hair was covered in dirt and blood, and her forehead was soaked in sweat. Her armor had absorbed most of the impact from her high fall, but that left it in bad shape, so she wouldn't be able to summon it for a little while. Using her Keyblade for support, she slowly managed to pull herself up from the ground, breathing heavily. She took a few steps forward, and luckily, nothing was broken in her legs. _I have to get back to Drake and Aaron…. they have to know that the man was back…_

Before she could make any progress, a hand grabbed her throat from behind. Amanda could only feel two things: her body's lack of oxygen and the cold metal wrapped around her neck. Her body was lifted into the air and turned to face her attacker. Amanda's eyes shot open. It was the armored man. She desperately began kicking and punching the man, but to no avail. As she began to lose consciousness, she drew her Keyblade, and pointed it at the man's head. A beam of light shot out of her Keyblade, and the man got sent flying backwards. Amanda fell to the ground, gasping for air. As she looked up, the man was walking quickly towards her. Amanda got up and drew her Fenrir, her legs shaking with fatigue.

The man charged at her, and they clashed swords with each other. Despite Amanda's condition, she was able to keep up with the man's blows well, but was stuck completely on the defensive. As the armored figure's blows began to get more and more aggressive, Amanda was beginning to get pushed backwards. Her fatigue growing more and more by the second, Amanda eventually had her Keyblade knocked out of her hand, and received a devastating kick to her stomach. She flew backwards and hit the rocky surface, lying on the ground in defeat. The armored figure approached her and raised his Keyblade for the finishing blow. Amanda calmly closed her eyes, waiting for the finishing blow.

It never came. As she slowly opened her eyes, her vision was extremely blurry, but she could make out another Keyblade blocking the man's attack. The armored figure looked at the person defending Amanda, as she heard a familiar voice come from the man. "Heads up."

_Aaron?_

From above, Drake fell and struck the armored figure with his own Keyblade. The man fell back, and looked at Drake and Aaron, standing in front of Amanda. Still completely silent, the figure turned away. A hole of dark energy appeared in the ground beneath the man, and he slowly descended into it, vanishing.

Amanda was barely conscious, so she could barely see what was happening. As she let sleep take her, she felt herself getting picked up, and Drake's voice.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine… you'll be…"

**. . .**

Amanda was still asleep in a tent that Aaron and Drake had set up. The two decided that it would be best for them to stay up for the night to make sure that the armored man doesn't come back. Aaron looked over to Drake. "So… you think she'll be okay?"

Drake was looking up at the starry sky. "I took a look at her. She's not so much hurt as she is exhausted. By tomorrow, she should be her old self again."

Aaron sighed. "Well then, what do we do tomorrow?" Drake didn't answer. "Drake?"

Drake was too busy thinking about what he had heard from that girl yesterday.

"_**You won't stop me from forging the X-Blade!"**_

_What was she talking about? Forge the Keyblade? What does that mean?_

"Drake!"

Drake came back to reality, looking at Aaron. Aaron began to look concerned. "Something on your mind, man?"

Drake looked down. "Do you think that something feels off about this mission?

Aaron nodded his head. "Definitely. But at this point, we just have to go with whatever comes our way." Aaron looked over at the tent. "She could have died..."

Drake sighed. "Yeah. Thank God we were there to stop him."

"Drake, you have to tell her how you feel."

Drake sighed. "Why?"

"Well, what if something did happen to her. How would you feel, knowing that you never got to tell her?"

Drake held his forehead. Grudgingly, he admitted it. "You're right. I'll tell her tomorrow."

**. . .**

The group woke up early and began exploring again. Drake's diagnosis had been correct, and Amanda was more than ready to get going again. As they walked, Drake asked Aaron to scout ahead and see if he could find anything. Aaron ran forward, leaving Amanda and Drake alone. Drake turned to face his crush. "Hey, are you sure that you're okay?"

Amanda playfully smacked Drake at the back of the head. "I'm fine! Don't be so worried. If that were you out there, you probably would have fainted the moment you looked over the cliff I was on."

"True enough." Drake breathed in deeply. "Hey, Amanda, there's something I wanted to tell you."

Amanda looked curiously at Drake.

"HEY GUYS!" Aaron's voiced boomed. "COME OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Amanda turned and began to follow Aaron's voice. "Can you tell me after?"

Drake sighed. "Sure…" As he saw Aaron, Drake asked, "What's going on?"

Aaron turned over to Drake, looking seriously concerned. "Remember when Master Xant had told us we were the only ones here, coming to fight a few dark warriors?"

"Yeah…. what about it?"

Aaron gestured over the cliff. Amanda and Drake walked over and looked across the fields. Amanda's eyes shot open, and Drake's jaw dropped.

Hundreds, if not thousands of Keyblade wielders were gathered on the plains below, all preparing for a battle. Both light and dark warriors were down there, each side preparing their equipment.

Drake and Amanda were speechless, as Aaron walked over to look down with them.

"We were fed a load of crap."

* * *

Yeah, the series is definitely becoming more serious. I know some people enjoy the comedy, but considering what kind of story this will become, don't expect it to last forever.

Also, anyone notice that it feels like you've been typing forever, but when you upload it here, it turns out that you've only written 1231 words?

Which I guess isn't bad, considering this is my first story, but whatever.

Review the chapter, tell me how to improve, all that jazz.

baylaust out.


	5. The Doubts

Hey, anyone remember when I actually used to update this story? No?

Me neither.

Anyway, here's stuff.

* * *

**The Keyblade War**

**The Doubts**

Drake, Aaron, and Amanda leapt off of the short cliff and landed among the crowds of Keyblade warriors they were just looking down upon. They wandered through the hundreds of Keyblade wielders, all of them completely unaware of the three new faces that had just arrived. To them, they were little more than faces in a crowd. Aaron's face was serious. "Guys, this is just messed up. Why would Master Xant tell us that we were the only ones going to be here…." Aaron spread his arms out. "…and we run into the freaking army of the century?" Drake and Amanda were both silent. Neither of them knew how to respond.

Drake breathed in slowly. "I understand where you're coming from, Aaron, and I'm worried to. But… we can't just go and blame our master for this." Aaron tried to speak, but Drake cut him off. "For all we know, he may not have had any idea that this many people were going to be here. He may have just forgotten to mention that to us.

Aaron held his head. "Forgot to mention—are you an idiot, Drake? Do you seriously think he just 'forgot to mention' that we were going to meet an army of dark warriors here? Or a slew of people on OUR side? I think that's a pretty big detail to forget, Drake!"

Drake's voice began to rise. "Hey, I never said that's what happened! I was making a suggestion! Do you honestly think that the same master we all grew up with would lie to us like that? Maybe you should have a bit more loyalty for our master!"

"And YOU should question your authority once in a while!"

"What our master says is final! We have no right to question him!"

"Oh, grow a spine! Stop being a kiss ass and learn to think for yourself!"

"BOTH OF YOU, SHUT UP NOW!"

Drake and Aaron both turned to face Amanda. Neither of them had ever heard her raise her voice like that in their entire lives. Amanda kept walking forward, never changing pace. "We might not know what is going on here, but that is NO reason for us to go and blame our master…" Amanda said, looking at Aaron. She turned to face Drake. "…OR our friends! We just have to investigate what is going on, keep our heads cool, and take this one step at a time! Got it?"

Aaron and Drake both nodded their heads. Without turning to look at his friends, Aaron began to walk away from the field of Keyblade wielders. "Come on. This has nothing to do with us. There's no reason to be here." Drake and Amanda followed him.

**. . .**

Night fell upon them once again. Despite their continuous exploring of the Barren Wasteland, they were unable to find anything that could explain what was going on. Reluctantly, they decided that they needed to set up camp for the night, and try again in the morning. During the entire day, Drake and Aaron never said a word to each other after what had happened earlier. Aaron was now sleeping, and Drake was still awake, looking at the starry sky above him. Amanda slowly approached Drake from behind. "Hey… you doing okay?"

Drake turned around and smiled weakly. "Yeah, I guess." Amanda took a seat beside him. "He's never shut himself away from us like this before."

Amanda nodded. "I know. But friends will duke it out every once in a while. We'll be chatting up a storm with him in no time. I'm sure of it."

"But he should know that I wasn't trying to cast him off. I would never try to hurt him."

"Didn't you knock him out with a Strike Raid a couple days ago."

"That doesn't count."

"How come? What were you guys talking about?"

Drake looked away from her. "Nothing."

Amanda sighed. "Alright then. Looks like I hit a nerve." The two of them sat together for a few minutes in silence. Suddenly, a thought came to Amanda's head. "Hey, what did you want to tell me before Aaron interrupted you?"

Drake's eyes shot open. "I—uh…" _I have a crush on you. I have ever since I first laid eyes on you._ "I was just wondering if you were alright…" _I wish to ride off into the sunset with you on a majestic unicorn. _"Just from your fight earlier…" _We shall conquer the darkness with our love! Now come, the wonders of this random rocky dessert await us!_ "Concerned, you know?"

Amanda smiled. "Aw, don't tell me you were afraid I was hurt?" She gave him a friendly hug. "You're too sweet! Well, don't worry, I'm perfectly fine."

Drake managed to fake a smile. "That's… awesome.

Amanda got up. "Well, it's about time I head to bed. You should too." She walked to her sleeping bag and crawled into it.

Drake sat there, alone with his thoughts.

_Dude, you just got friendzone'd. Hard._

"Oh, shut up, brain."

**. . .**

The next morning, the three were awake and ready to head out. Amanda was just checking to see if her armor had repaired itself yet, so Drake and Aaron were left by themselves. Drake slowly began to talk. "Hey… Aaron?"

Aaron didn't respond.

"I just wanted to talk to you for a second."

No response.

"Just so you know, I'm sorry about yesterday."

Nothing.

Drake sighed. "Well, I just wanted you to know—"

"Don't apologize."

Drake did a double-take, turning to face Aaron again. "What?"

Aaron wasn't facing him. "You have nothing to apologize for. You were just being loyal to our master. I jumped the gun and blamed him for everything." Aaron looked at the ground. "I have no right to be talking to you."

Drake smiled. "Yep, you're right. You shouldn't have the right to talk to me."

Aaron turned to walk away.

"BUT…" Aaron's head jerked up. "Considering how many times I've beaten you to a pulp and made you cry for your mommy, I guess we could call it even."

Aaron slowly smirked. "Say that again. I dare you."

Drake leaned forward. "Crybaby."

Aaron jerked around and threw a punch at Drake, which he dodged. Aaron began to chase Drake around the field, the two of them laughing.

Amanda looked over at the two of them and smiled. _I knew all they needed was some alone time._

**. . .**

The three, now friends again, walked around the Barren Wasteland. As usual, there was nothing as far as the eye could see. While they were walking, a figure approached the trio from behind. Matching their footsteps, the person managed to sneak up on them seemingly undetected. Drawing a Keyblade, the figure lifted her Keyblade over Amanda, preparing for an attack. Within a flash, Amanda had turned around, drew her Keyblade, blocked and parried the attack, and sent a Firaga spell at her assailant from her other hand. The armored figure was sent flying back, as Drake and Aaron both drew their Keyblades. Amanda smiled. "I've been ambushed enough for one week, thank you very much."

Drake looked at the person's armor. "Wait a second… that's the girl that attacked me!"

The girl rose up, her armor scorched. Her armor vanished, revealing a girl around Drake's age, with short red hair. She wore an evil smile on her face, with glowing yellow eyes.

Aaron looked surprised. "That's her? Huh, I was expecting more. She's only a 6 out of 10."

"Focus, Aaron…"

Beside the girl, a black hole appeared in the ground, with the armored man rising from it. Amanda's head dropped. "Oh hell no, not this guy again." Unlike the other girl, the man did not remove his armor. He just stood close to the girl's side."

"You just picked a fight with the wrong warriors, you fools," the girl sneered. "You will not stop us from forging the X-Blade, and my apprentice and I will see to it personally!"

Drake held his head. "She said it again. 'Forge the Keyblade'. What does that mean?"

Aaron scratched his head. "Hell if I know. So how about he make them talk?"

Amanda walked forward, bringing her Keyblade to her shoulder. "I like the way you think, Aaron." She charged at the girl, and clashed swords with her. The two's blades clashed again and again, until the girl thrusted her Keyblade at Amanda. Amanda jumped into the air, and landed with one foot on the girl's Keyblade, pinning it to the ground. She ran over it and flipped over the girl, landed behind her, and struck her on the back of the head, knocking her to the ground. Amanda smiled.

"Aw, is that all you've got? Pretty disappointing if you ask me." The other girl snarled and charged at Amanda once again.

**. . .**

While Amanda fought one-on-one with the dark girl, Drake and Aaron were both taking on the armored being, two-on-one. And it was not a fair fight for Drake and Aaron. The two charged him from both sides. Using his Keyblade, the armored being blocked Drake and pushed him back, while extending his other arm and sending a Dark Firaga blast at Aaron. The two hit the ground hard. Aaron was breathing heavily. "You notice that this guy…. seems a LOT stronger…. than last time…?"

Drake nodded, and turned to look at how Amanda was doing. His eyes opened wide to see that the other girl was holding Amanda by her throat, an aura of darkness around her. "Sorry, sweet cheeks. Looks like you lose this round." The girl then hurled Amanda to the ground hard, where she landed beside Aaron and Drake. The three of them were lying on the ground in pain, and the two dark warriors began to turn away from them. The girl made one last look back. "I sincerely hope that you can grow stronger. The X-Blade has no time for those who are weak." She then vanished into a dark corridor. The armored being sunk into a dark hole in the ground and disappeared.

Drake, Amanda, and Aaron continued to lie on the ground, breathing heavily. Finally, Aaron decided to speak.

"We are so screwed, it's not even funny."

* * *

Ohai end of chapter.

So yeah, beginning to get a bit more serious. Believe it or not, this is actually going somewhere. Somewhere I hope to get to within the next 2-3 chapters.

Reviews, critisisms, anyhting like that is appreciated. I'm not going to do that thing some people do and thank the reviewers in their story characters, because that's kinda wierd.

baylaust out.


	6. The Truth

So yeah, you should probably give up on regular updates at this point. I'm doing this story just for the heck of it, and I write for it whenever I get in the mood. Sometimes days, or months.

But enough of that, you have a crappy fanfic to be reading. So don't let me distract you.

* * *

**The Keyblade War**

**Chapter 5: The Truth**

"So to recap, there are thousands of Keyblade wielders gathering on a giant empty plane getting ready to kill each other, we've gotten our asses kicked by a girl who, despite being our age, has her own apprentice, and she keeps talking about forging a 'Keyblade' or something, and on top of it all, we have no idea who we can trust. I think I've just about covered everything. Drake, I miss something?"

This was going to be their third night at the Barren Wasteland. They had been through a lot over the past few days, but no matter how much they thought about everything they had encountered thus far, no one was able to put together why they were really there, and why the truth had been hidden from them. Drake cracked his neck, ready to go to sleep. "Yeah Aaron, I think that about sums it up." He ran his hands over his face. "I don't know guys, I just don't know. What do we do? We shouldn't have to go back and ask Master Xant for instructions. I'm a Master now, I'm supposed to know what we should do… so why DON'T I?"

Amanda looked at Drake, clearly concerned. The mysterious girl, and her 'apprentice', had been getting to him, especially all of their cryptic remarks. He always blames everything, failure to understand, not knowing what to do, people getting hurt, he had always blamed himself for those kinds of things. Suddenly, Amanda had an idea. "Well… there are thousands of dark warriors here, and it's always been those two who attack US. So they obviously must think we're special or something. Otherwise, they'd be wasting their time on someone else. In addition, they seem to know perfectly well what's going on here.

"So, I suggest that we go out and let them come to us, like we know they will. We draw them out, beat them, and force the truth out of them. We get the information we need, we get a chance to work out the stress we've been having, and we get to beat the crap out of some dark warriors. We win." Amanda put her hands behind her head, smiling mischievously. "What do ya think?"

Aaron started to smile as well, and nodded. "I like the way you think. Besides, it's about time we got back at them for beating us last time. You in, Drake?"

Drake wasn't a fan of letting himself, or his friends, for that matter, be bait for their enemies. On the other hand, it wasn't like there was any way for them to find those two. This was the best option. "Alright, guys, I'll bite. Here's what we're going to do…"

**. . .**

The next day produced much of the same that had been expected at this point: the three friends wandering aimlessly around the mostly empty plains, looking for a clue as to what they were supposed to be looking for. Amanda was wandering through the plains on her own, wearing all of her armor, sans her helmet. While she walked, a black portal appeared in the ground behind her. The armored being emerged from it, covered in darkness that quickly dissolved away from its armor. With Amanda none the wiser, the armored being charged at her and elbowed her on the back of the head, knocking her to the ground. Amanda tried to turn, but the being placed its foot on her chest, Keyblade at her throat.

A dark corridor appeared beside Amanda, and the girl from before emerged from it. She chuckled a bit to herself, and stood above her. "Aw, what's wrong? You can't fight without your two boyfriends at your side?" The girl then kneeled beside Amanda, her yellow eyes glaring at Amanda's. "You really should have thought about bringing some backup."

Amanda struggled to speak back. The girl looked at the armored being and slightly nodded. It lifted its foot slightly from her chest, allowing Amanda to talk easier. The girl glared at her again. "Now, what did you want to say?"

Amanda gave a slight smirk. "I did."

Two beams of light shot from afar and knocked the armored being away. The girl looked and saw Aaron and Drake quickly approaching. Before she could react, Amanda lifted herself off the ground, kicking the girl in the face. She staggered back, and felt a drop of blood coming from her lip. "Oh, you're going to pay ten-fold for that!" Amanda and the girl drew their Keyblades.

Before they could fight, Drake jumped in and smashed her on the side of her face with the hilt of his Keyblade. Amanda turned and saw that Aaron was alone fighting the armored being, and left to assist him. The girl stood back up, and turned to face Drake. "I'm going to enjoy making you and your friends SCREAM in pain…"

Drake cracked his neck. "Keep dreaming." The girl charged at Drake, enraged. Drake turned his back to the girl and tossed his Keyblade in a Strike Raid away from both of them. Drake then backflipped over the girl, landing on her other side. She quickly turned around and aimed her Keyblade at his throat. "You honestly think a fancy little backflip would catch me off guard?"

"No…" Drake lifted his hand. "…but I had a feeling that this would." The girl turned to see Drake's Strike Raid returning to his hand. Before she could react, his Keyblade made full contact with her face, knocking her to the ground hard. Drake walked over to her and pointed his Keyblade at her throat. "Enough."

The girl looked to see her 'apprentice' standing still, with Aaron and Amanda standing on both sides, Keyblades aimed at its neck. She stared at the armored being for a moment. "Go." It nodded, and created a dark hole in the ground, sinking into it and disappearing. Aaron and Amanda were prepared to pursue, but Drake stopped them. "Don't worry, guys, she's the one we want anyway." Drake turned back to the girl. "Now, would you be so kind as to answer a couple questions for us?" Amanda and Aaron both went to Drake's sides.

The girl glared at the three, and began to stand up. "Ah, what the hell? I'll humour you three numbskulls for a bit." She crossed her arms. "Ask your questions before I get bored."

Drake looked the girl in the eye. "First, the obvious stuff: what's your name?"

She rolled her eyes. "Jessica. What, expecting some sort of evil, twisted name?"

"How old are you?"

"18. What else have you got for me? How much do I weigh? What kind of music do I like? What do I like to do on a date?"

Aaron smirked a bit. "I kinda like this girl."

"Focus, Aaron…" Drake turned back to Jessica. "So, Jessica…"

"Please call me Jess. Jessica is what everyone calls my mom."

Drake breathed in very deeply. "So, Jess, who is your 'apprentice'?"

Jess scratched her hair a little bit. "Kinda hard to say. You can't really call him 'him', but 'it'. My former master taught me how to manipulate darkness to my advantage. So in the Lanes In-Between, where the darkness is stronger than usual, I used said great darkness to forge a being. A being made of pure darkness that I can summon whenever I feel the need to. That suit of armor? That's the closest thing to a physical form it has. I guess the phrase 'apprentice', was a bit wrong. It's more like my 'tool', or 'toy'. Enough back story for you, or do you want more?"

Drake's eyes widened a bit. _She can control darkness to such a degree that she can forge PEOPLE out of it? She's far stronger than I had thought…_ Drake shook his head a bit. "Now, why are you here?"

Jess raised her eyebrows. "Same reason you are; to forge the X-Blade."

"You said it again! 'Forge the Keyblade'. What does that mean?"

Jess's eyes widened. "You mean you really have no idea?" She then burst into a fit of laughter. Eventually she calmed down, wiping a tear from her eye. "Oh, that's RICH! X-Blade, you idiots. Not like a 'key', but with 'X'. Greek letter pronounced like 'chi', so morons like you would mix it up. When a heart of light and a heart of darkness of equal power clash, they will form the X-Blade. With the X-Blade, they can access the power of Kingdom Hearts, and gain the power to control everything. Those thousands of soldiers you saw standing around in that field? All of them are here for ONE reason: to forge the Keyblade. The only difference is that our masters were a little bit more…. _honest_ about it."

Drake was stunned. _We're here to fight a war? We're not prepared for something like that!_ Jess then gave a yawn. "Well, time's up. I'm bored. Hope I didn't give you guys brain freeze." Jess created a dark portal and vanished into it. Drake was a bout to pursue her, when Amanda grabbed his arm. "Don't waste your energy! We have to plan our next move!"

Drake hesitated, but eventually turned to go back to camp with his two best friends.

**. . .**

Night had fallen. 24 hours ago, they had resolved to answer their questions, but were now more lost than ever before. Amanda ran her hand through her hair a bit. "What have we gotten ourselves into, guys?"

Aaron was on the verge of freaking out. "A WAR? We're not ready to fight a war! Amanda and I aren't even masters! We're going to get ourselves killed!"

Amanda put her arm on Aaron's shoulder. "We'll do what we have to do, and go home. You understand?" She then turned her head to look at Drake. "What do you think?"

Drake was leaning forward, completely confused. "We knew we would run into fights here. Master Xant told us that. How could he have missed this many people being here? And everyone being here for one reason? And WHY US, when he has so many other students?" Drake's mind was running in circles.

And then it hit him.

**. . .**

_**Amanda grew curious. "But why us, master? There are other pupils here, most with far more experience than us."**_

_**Xant turned away from them. "True, but you three are different. There is a powerful light residing in your hearts, far stronger than any others in this Sanctuary."**_

**. . .**

_He knew!_

Drake stood up, and began to walk away. Aaron quickly got up. "Yo Drake, where do you think you're going?"

Drake didn't want to worry his friends, so he resorted to lying. "We've fumbled around in the dark long enough. I'm going back to Xant and telling him about the situation. I'll come back when we have a definite plan to counter this new threat."

"Well, you can't go alone. We'll go with you."

"You and Amanda should stay here and keep tabs on what's going on here. If anything changes, someone has to know for when I get back."

Aaron sighed briefly, and then grabbed Drake's hand. "Sounds good, chief. Get back quickly."

"Don't I always?" Drake activated his armor and Rider, and flew away from the Barren Wasteland. He set a new course, and began to fly for the Sanctuary of Light.

For home.

For his master.

* * *

Yeah, you'll notice it's definitely getting more serious now. I'll add more humour here and there, but expect a lot of seriousness from here on out.

Also, the story will be shorter than I had originally intended; probably about 12-13 chapters, But I'll do my best to make them longer.

Also, big event next chapter, so there's that.

Review, give me tips, they'll be appreciated, all that jazz.

baylaust out.


	7. The Failure

What's this? A quick update? The apocalypse must be near. Actually, I just have time before school starts, and I was bored, so why not, right?

Anyway, this is a pretty big chapter, so my 2, 3 readers should probably get to it.

* * *

Amanda and Aaron sat where they had made camp in the Barren Wasteland. Drake had gone to speak with Master Xant about what they should do concerning the thousands of soldiers that were waiting here, preparing to begin a war. Aaron had no idea what to expect when Drake returns, but all he could do at this point was have faith in his best friend.

Out of nowhere, a dark hole appeared in the ground. Aaron and Amanda immediately stood up and drew their Keyblades. The two watched as a familiar armored figure slowly rose out of the ground.

**. . .**

**The Keyblade War**

**Chapter 6: The Failure**

It was a long trip, and endless streams of thoughts were flowing through Drake's mind as he flew on his Rider, heading for his home. He had originally believed he and his friends would be back there by the end of the first day. But now, he was going back to confront his master. He had thought of a lot of things: what he should say, ways to keep things non violent, possible justification for what Xant had done to them. All of these thoughts and more poured into his head.

But the one thought that dominated them all was anger. Anger and betrayal. Xant was his master. He was his master, he was Amanda's master, and he was Aaron's master, and he had done nothing but lie to them from the very moment the three were given the mission to go to the Barren Wasteland.

Drake looked up through his armor to see his home, the Sanctuary of Light, drawing nearer. _Alright, it's time for the truth._

**. . .**

Drake fell from the sky and landed on his feet. He took off the helmet of his armor, and the rest of his suit dissipated with it. He looked at his home with a look of sadness. The giant castle he had called home stood in front of him. Drake didn't know what the castle was constructed with, but it appeared to be a crystal-like material with a bluish tint. It looked like Superman's Fortress of Solitude mixed with Disney Castle. Drake wished deeply in his heart he could just stay here, but he knew he couldn't. He was here on a mission.

Drake pushed open the castle's front doors, the sound echoing through the empty castle. He slowly began walking down the main corridor, his eyes searching constantly for-

"Drake?"

_Xant._

Drake turned to see his master approaching from a side hallway. He had long black hair with wisps of gray in it. He also had a small beard coloured the same way. The sight of a man that would normally fill him with pride now filled Drake with contempt.

Xant stared curiously at Drake. "What are you doing back here? And where are Aaron and Amanda?"

Drake glared at his master. "They're both still at the Barren Wasteland. Making sure nothing changes while I'm here."

"A smart decision. Something I've come to except from a young man like you." One of Xant's compliments, which filled Drake with disgust. "Now, the question is…"

Xant raised a curious eyebrow. "…why are you here? "

Drake looked at the ground. _No turning back._ Drake then looked his master in the eyes. "I have something I need to ask you."

"Then ask."

Drake narrowed his eyes. "What exactly is this X-Blade you want me to forge?"

Xant appeared to be startled. He took a step back. "W-what? I have no clue what-"

Drake stepped forward. "Save it, old man! I believe the answer you **should** be giving me is 'a weapon created by a heart of light and darkness of equal strength that can grant its wielder all the power Kingdom Hearts has to offer.' Am I warm?"

Xant took another step back. "How did you-"

"Why would you do this to us, **master**? You threw us into a war to give you some kind of almighty weapon, and you don't even bother to tell us? You had better not say that it's a detail that just slipped your mind; we both know that's crap! So why? Why did you lie to me, to US?" Drake took another step forward. "ANSWER ME!"

Xant turned his back to Drake, his apprentice breathing heavily. He looked to the ground and sighed deeply. Before Drake could react, Xant drew his Keyblade and shot a beam of light at him. The beam hit Drake directly in the stomach, and propelled him through the wall of the castle. Drake rolled onto the courtyard, trying to stand up while Xant walked through the newly made hole in the wall.

"We Keyblade wielders are tasked with a goal: to protect the light from the dangers that darkness can pose. Me and my fellow masters have come to the conclusion that light cannot coexist with the darkness, so the only option is to purge it from the universe!" Xant ran at Drake, but Drake rolled out of the way of his strike and got back onto his feet drawing his Keyblade as well.

"We don't have the power to make that happen… which is where the X-Blade comes in!" Drake jumped into the air and smashed his Keyblade into the ground, but Xant flipped over him. He grabbed Drake by the back of the head and hurled him across the courtyard. "With that X-Blade, we can obtain the power of Kingdom Hearts, the power to control everything! We can cleanse the word of darkness, any who would threaten the stability of the worlds, and bring a new era of peace!" Xant raised his Keyblade to the sky, and several pillars of light came crashing down, heading for Drake. Drake got up and expertly dodged the blasts his master sent at him.

"Do you even know what you're doing, Xant?" Drake hit the armor pad on his shoulder, covering himself in his armor. He charged at Xant and swung his Keyblade at him several times, both blades clashing with each other until they both clashed together with equal strength. "Light and darkness MUST coexist! One can't exist without the other! You'll be destroying the worlds!"

"NO, I will be SAVING them!" Xant pushed Drake away. Drake jumped over Xant while be blocked the slash from above him. Xant took another swipe at Drake, who jumped backwards. Xant then extended his hand, and shot a beam of light at Drake. Drake covered his torso and face with both arms, and the beam of light pushed him back, before he broke it with his armor. Xant continued, "With the power of Kingdom Hearts, the heart of all that lives, we can do anything that we wish. If I want the worlds to exist without darkness, so it shall be. I have no doubt in my mind, that I will rid the worlds of darkness, and keep the universe alive!"

Drake stood still momentarily, and shook his head. "I never thought I'd say this to you, but… you've been corrupted Xant."

Xant laughed out loud. "Quit your foolishness, boy! The darkness has no hold on me!"

Drake shook his head again. "Not by darkness, Xant…. by light!" Drake charged forward and clashed blades with Xant several more times. Eventually, he managed to grab him by the chest and hurl him against the castle wall. Drake then rushed forward and pinned him against it.

"Light can be just as dangerous as darkness in the wrong hands, much like how darkness can be of as much aid as light in the right hands. You've become so blinded by your fear of the darkness, that you won't consider the repercussions of what you plan to do!"

"How DARE you lecture me?" Xant pushed him away. "You may be Master in title, but you're the same pupil I've always known you to be! You have no right to claim you know more about the safety of the worlds than I!" Xant charged towards Drake.

Drake sighed. "That's where you're wrong, old man." Drake expertfully dodged Xant's strike and twirled around him. He swung his Keyblade with full force, hitting Xant in the stomach and propelling him with incredible force against the wall of the castle. Cracks appeared in the wall behind him as Xant crumbled to the ground, leaning against the wall. Drake looked at the sight of his master, lying in defeat against the walls of his home, and did not feel a flicker of pity for him. Drake turned and tossed his Keyblade, turning it into a Rider. "I'm taking my friends, and we're leaving the Barren Wasteland. We'll be no part in any war of yours."

Drake heard a low chuckle from behind him as he had one arm on his Rider. He turned to face Xant. "As if… you three have anywhere to go…"

Drake's eyes narrowed underneath his helmet. "What do you mean?"

Xant chuckled some more. "Do you really think that… we will just let you three go? No… every master in every world will know your names. Anywhere you go… there will be an army waiting to strike you down." Xant looked up at Drake. "The three of you… will die… in the Barren Wasteland."

Drake was silent for a moment. He then got onto his Rider and flew away from his former home, leaving his former master behind.

**. . .**

Drake flew through the endless space again, planning to reunite with his friends. He held his head, trying to comprehend what had happened. So many uncertainties revealed one very clear fact to Drake: he had failed. Even thought he defeated his former master, Xant had still won. Him, Amanda, Aaron, they will have nowhere to go when the war is over. If they want to live, they'll have to fight. To fight, will be giving Xant exactly what he wants.

Drake shook his head clear of all his negative thoughts. This still was not over yet. Drake still had his two best friends, and he knew they could think of an idea to ruin Xant's plan. No more lying. He would get back, tell his friends what happened, and they would plan their next move.

Drake looked ahead and saw the Barren Wasteland in sight.

**. . .**

Drake reached the ground and dismissed his armor. He looked around. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary, still a giant empty rock. Drake began to approach his camp. However, when it was in sight, he could only see one thing.

Amanda was on her knees, crying.

"Amanda?" Drake began to pick up speed. "Amanda?" He sprinted full speed to her, and saw that she had a deep wound in her left ankle. Drake drew his Keyblade. "Heal!" He casted a Curaga spell, which would hopefully cause the wound to heal, in time. Drake kneeled down to Amanda, who was still sobbing uncontrollably. "Amanda, listen to me! What happened?"

Amanda could barely speak, but Drake could just manage to make out one phrase: "He's gone…"

"What?" Drake suddenly looked around, and realized that Aaron was nowhere to be found. "What do you mean, he's gone?" Drake was getting excited. "What happened to him?"

Amanda just continued blubbering, "He's gone. He's gone…"

Drake grabbed Amanda's face and gently turned her to look at him. He wiped her tears from her cheeks. "Alright Amanda, can you tell me what happened?"

Amanda sniffled a bit more, and her eyes looked away from Drake. "He's gone."

Drake nodded. "Alright. When did this happen? Do you know where he went? Who took him?"

Amanda shook her head. "No, Drake… he's gone…" She was looking at something behind him. Drake turned around to see Aaron's Oblivion Keyblade lying on the ground. Drake's mouth slowly began to open, and his expression began to change. He realized what Amanda was trying to tell him.

"Drake, he's dead."

* * *

Osnap.

Reviews, and advice on how I can improve are greatly appreciated.

baylaust out.


	8. The Loss

Another update. Man, I'm on a roll.

Well, not a whole lot happens in this chapter. It's mostly just aftermath from what happened in the previous chapter.

But in either case, it's something for you to read, so go right on ahead and read it.

Longest chapter yet, anyone?

* * *

**The Keyblade War**

**Chapter 7: The Loss**

"**You know, Amanda…"**

**Amanda turned to look at Aaron. "Hm?"**

"**Drake seemed kind of… off, when he left. Something was on his mind. He knew something we didn't. Why else would he ask us to stay here, while he goes and talks to Master Xant?"**

**Amanda sighed. "Well… Drake's always been kind of like that. He doesn't like to trouble others with his own problems. If he doesn't want us around, then… that's his right. We shouldn't question that."**

**Aaron shrugged. "Whatever you say, ma'am." **

**Suddenly, both turned to see a dark hole in the ground. Aaron and Amanda jumped up and drew their Keyblades as they watched Jess's dark spawn rise from the ground. Both knew that it wasn't her apprentice, and it wasn't even human. It was pure darkness, with no conscience, no emotion, and no mercy. Aaron growled, irritated. "Why doesn't this creep ever just leave us alone?"**

"**She must know that we're one man short! Why would she wait for Drake to come back, when she can attack us now?" Amanda rushed towards the armored figure as it drew a Keyblade of its own. She clashed with it a couple times before putting her palm over its helmet, and blasting it with a Firaga spell. The armored figure was pushed back, and Amanda rushed forward again, stabbing it through the stomach.**

**It, however, raised its head so that it appeared to be staring Amanda in the eyes. It pulled Amanda's Keyblade out of its stomach, and hurled it away. Amanda ran to grab it, but the armored figure appeared in front of her. Before Amanda could react, it swung it's Keyblade at her, slicing her leg. Amanda screamed in pain and fell to her knees. The armored figure raised its Keyblade to deal the finishing blow.**

"**You want her…" Aaron grabbed the armored figure from the back of its head. "…you gotta go through me, pal!" With all his strength, Aaron hurled it across the empty plains around them. It slowly rose up from the ground, and turned to face Aaron. It dashed forward at incredible speed, and began to swing its Keyblade very quickly.**

**However, Aaron's strong point was in speed. Moving at an equally fast speed, Aaron managed to dodge the spawn's blows, and slashed it upwards. Aaron jumped into the air after it, and began his assault. Strike after strike made impact with its armor, and Aaron tossed into the ground and threw his Keyblade down with it. The spawn bounced up from the ground slightly, as Aaron's Keyblade came down and pierced it through the abdomen. Aaron landed on the ground, approached it, and pulled his Keyblade from its 'body'. "Don't worry, I bet you won't even remember that when you wake up." Aaron began to walk for Amanda.**

**Aaron stopped as he heard the sound of armor moving. He slowly turned to see the spawn standing up, Keyblade in hand. Aaron charged at it and swung his Keyblade, but the spawn grabbed his arm midswing. With Aaron helpless, it struck him in the face with the hilt of its Keyblade, and then tossed him to where Amanda was on the ground. Aaron wiped some blood from his mouth. "Why won't you… just… DIE?" Aaron got up from the ground, and sprinted at the spawn.**

**Amanda began crawling. **_**I can't let him fight it alone… I have to help…**_** Amanda tried to stand up, but her leg burned with pain, and she fell back to the ground. It had gotten her leg good, and she wouldn't be able to move much in this state. All she could do was watch.**

**Aaron and the spawn matched blow for blow, Keyblades clashing again, and again. Their speed began to steadily increase, and their Keyblade clashes were soon almost too fast to see. This continued until both of them parried each other's blows. Both Aaron and the spawn looked up, and slashed downwards. **

**Amanda watched, and felt time seemingly slow down. She watched the spawn bring it's Keyblade to its side and stand fully upright, and she watched as Aaron fell to his knees, and hit the rocky surface of the ground face first. "AARON!" Amanda felt weak, but she used her strength to summon her Keyblade. She saw the spawn raise its Keyblade to finish him off, and she shot a beam of light through her blade. The spawn saw this, and raised its arms in front of its body to shield itself from the continuing blast, though it appeared to be struggling. After a few moments, particles of darkness began to rise from its body. It quickly created a dark portal in the ground and vanished into it.**

**Amanda began crawling her way to Aaron, who was still lying on the ground motionless. She managed to reach him, and began shaking his body. "Aaron?" Tears were beginning to swell up in her eyes. "A-Aaron, please!"**

**She suddenly heard Aaron coughing into the dirt beneath him. With Amanda's help, he managed to turn himself upright. He had a large slash mark going from his face, all the way to his stomach. "…ow."**

**Amanda couldn't help but give a quick, sad laugh, seeing how even now, Aaron was still his same old self. That brief flicker of hope quickly died though, as she then saw particles of light beginning to rise from his body. "No…. no, please, no!"**

**Aaron saw the particles rising from his body as well, and sighed deeply. "Well… I guess this means… my clock has just struck midnight, huh…?"**

**Tears were now streaming down Amanda's face. "Aaron, I'm sorry! I'm SO sorry! This is all my fault, I should have fought harder, I should have done something, I-"**

**Aaron raised his arm up, and ruffled her hair playfully. "Hey… this isn't your fault. I fought… I lost… nothing to do with you, got it…?"**

**Amanda sniffled, and managed to nod her head. "But… you're my best friend, Drake's best friend! How will we go on without you?"**

**Aaron chuckled a little bit. "…I think… you'll manage." The particles of light rising from his body began to increase. "Hey, Amanda… you and Drake do me a favour, will ya" Aaron's body began to glow. "…survive…" Aaron's body turned completely white, and particles of light began rising at an increasing speed. Amanda watched, heartbroken, as one of her best friends faded away into light. She lowered her head, and began sobbing uncontrollably. She continued to do this for several minutes.**

"**Amanda?"**

**. . .**

Drake sat down, listening to Amanda recount to him what had happened while he was gone. For several minutes, Drake didn't move, or say anything.

Finally, after a long period of silence between him and Amanda, Drake completely broke down. He went to his knees and began punching the ground furiously. "Damn it!" Tears were falling from his eyes, as Amanda watched. "Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!" Drake continued to punch the ground. "He wanted to come with me, and I said no! I MADE him stay here! I put him in danger! I got him killed! I did this! It's MY fault!"

Drake then felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Amanda looking at him. "Drake… he wouldn't want us to be like this… as much as hurts…" Amanda sniffled a bit, but tried her best to remain composed. "…we can't let grief consume us"

Drake's breathing began to slow down, and he gently placed his fist on the ground. He slowly adjusted himself so he was sitting down. He turned to face Amanda, his cheeks red, and nodded quickly.

Amanda nodded back, and looked up at the sky. "So… what did Xant have to say?"

**. . .**

Amanda breathed in deeply. "So, we're trapped here until we die…"

Drake shook his head. "We're not trapped. We'll fight, we'll survive, and we'll find a way to continue our lives. That's a promise, Amanda."

Amanda looked at Drake. "Don't make promises you know you can't keep."

Drake paused for a moment, and then continued. "Well, we're not pawns of Xant anymore. We can choose our own future now, and make our own choices-"

"What choices do we HAVE?" Amanda countered. "We don't fight and die, or we fight and die. Two choices, same end: we'll never leave this rock alive!"

Drake turned away for a second. He knew she was right, but he couldn't let go of what little hope they had left. "Things will work out for us, Amanda. They always do." There was silence for a moment, and suddenly, Drake felt Amanda's face buried into his arm. She was crying again. "I miss him, Drake…"

Drake sighed, keeping himself composed. He slowly put his arm around her back to comfort her. "I miss him too, Amanda… I miss him too.

**. . .**

It was the next say, and the sun was in the center of the sky. Jess was walking through the empty plains. She looked at the sky with her gold eyes, and let out a soft chuckle.

She stopped, however, and listened. She could hear something approaching. A Rider.

Before she could turn around, Drake jumped off of his Rider, in full armor, and tackled her to the ground. Without losing speed, Drake picked her up from the ground, and smashed her against a rock wall, holding her by the neck. "You owe me a best friend…" Drake's voice was shaky, and filled with an uncontrollable rage, which made Jess smirk to herself, despite struggling to breathe.

Jess struggled to speak. "Aw… are you upset about something? Talk… to me! I believe it's… MY turn to play… councilor…"

Drake's grip tightened around her throat. "What… did he EVER… do to YOU?"

Jess was starting to gasp for air. "N-nothing. But if h-he couldn't even… de-defeat ONE person… s-someone not even HUMAN… th-then he was expendable-"

"SHUT UP!" Drake tossed her away from the wall to the ground, as she breathed in deeply, letting air back into her lungs. "I don't care about this whole battle of yours, this war, ANYONE here! I just… I just want Aaron back. I want to be able to go home…"

Jess slowly picked herself up from the ground. "Sounds like you know a bit more than the last time I saw you… does this mean you believe what I said?"

Drake nodded. "Yeah… and I know that I'll never give my master the X-Blade, even if that means I can never go home!"

'"Wah-wah-wah, it's all about me!'" Jess said in a mocking tone. "Join the club, bud. Quit acting like you're someone special. There's only one rule on this world: You return home with the X-Blade, or you never leave this place. Get it? Only one person is leaving this world alive, and I don't know about you, but I intend for THAT person to be me. This is a whole lot bigger than you and your master, even if you're too stupid to realize it yet."

Drake looked at the ground, then back to Jess. "What should I do?"

Jess turned her back to Drake and began walking away. "Well for starters, stop complaining, man up, and pick a side, because you're only heading for the graveyard if you keep fighting this war alone." Drake watched as Jess disappeared into a dark corridor, leaving him staring at the empty fields of the Barren Wasteland.

* * *

So yeah, pretty hopeless situation this time around.

In what I have planned, another chapter or two of setup, at least two chapters about the war, and a chapter or two about the aftermath.

Not a whole lot left when you think about it.

Also, unofficial name for the armored being is 'the spawn', since I can't think of a name.

So reviews, and tips on how I can improve are much appreciated.

baylaust out.


	9. The Rally

Oh look, I'm back from the dead again. Yipee.

And I also bring you an extremely unexciting chapter in my side project that just won't die.

Aren't you lucky.

* * *

**The Keyblade War**

**Chapter 8: The Rally**

It had been a week since Aaron died.

Drake and Amanda were probably the only Keyblade warriors on the side of light that knew what their masters were really planning, but they were two soldiers in an army of thousands, all of whom had been told the same thing. No one would believe them. The only others who knew what they were really there for were the dark Keyblade wielders, and they couldn't side with them, no matter what the circumstances were. They were sitting on useless information, and it was getting to them. The fact that they had been played for fools by the man who raised them. The fact that a war was about to break out, and they wouldn't be able to stop it.

But the worst feeling was knowing that someone, a lifelong friend, had to die, just to further a greedy group's plans. Despite Amanda's constant comforting, Drake still blamed himself for what had happened to their friend, to Aaron. Because of his failure to listen, Aaron was gone, and would never be able to come back. They had nothing left.

And nothing to lose.

**. . .**

Night fell once again, so Drake and Amanda sat together around a glowing fire that they had set up. For a long time, there was nothing but silence. Neither knew what they could, or should, say to the other, if there even was anything to say at all. Finally, Amanda asked the question that was on both of their minds. "What are we going to do, Drake?"

Drake looked at her for a moment, and then turned back to the fire. "We've already talked about this. We fight, we survive."

Amanda shook her head. "You and I both know that gets us nowhere. If we fight, we give Xant exactly what he's seeking. If we refuse, then we die." Amanda stared at Drake, tears forming in her eyes. "No matter what, we can't win. We can't choose our own fate like you were talking about. We're doomed to play into somebody's hands, no matter what we decide to do with our lives."

Drake knew that she was speaking the truth. He knew as well as she did that there was going to be no happy ending to their story. Despite this, he chose to remain strong for her. "Maybe not… maybe things will be different in the end…"

Amanda gave a fake chuckle. "Yeah, sure."

Drake turned back to face Amanda. "That doesn't matter though. No matter what we do, or what happens to us, I only care about one thing." He slowly raised his hand, and rested it on hers. "We stay together. Until the end." Amanda looked at Drake through her teary eyes, and for the first time in a week, smiled.

**. . .**

The next day, Drake continued to wander through the Barren Wasteland, asking Amanda to stay behind and make sure nobody stole their supplies. He didn't know what he was looking for. Maybe some dark warriors to destroy. Maybe Jess, or her dark spawn. Maybe he was looking for a way out. Maybe he was looking for someone who would listen to what he had to say. Whatever it was, Drake didn't know.

As he walked, he heard an all too familiar voice. One that caused a burning hatred in his heart. "Going somewhere, sweetheart?" Drake's fists clenched tightly, and he slowly turned to face Jess, who was leaning against a rocky cliff. She had an evil smirk on her face, as her golden eyes stared directly into Drake's. Drake turned away from her and began to walk away. "Now is not the time."

Jess followed him quickly and tapped him on the shoulder. "Aw, still hurt because I offed your best buddy?" In a split second, without turning his head, Drake drew his Keyblade and slashed at her. However, she saw this coming and easily side-stepped it. She gave an evil chuckle. "It's been a week, bud. Time to accept it and move on. Besides, we've got a war to fight in, soon!"

Drake continued to walk away. "YOU have a war to fight. Amanda and I aren't going to do anything to give our master satisfaction."

Jess raised an eyebrow. "So instead, you're going to stand by and let every other pathetic waste of skin on this rock die a horrible death, all playing into the hands of their masters, while you and your girlfriend sit by and watch on the sidelines, just so you can spite your master." Jess gave a fake shiver. "Brrrrrr! Man, did it just get cold out here, or is it just me? Oh wait, it's you."

"Shut up," Drake said emotionlessly. He knew that she was trying to play with his emotions, and he wouldn't let her continue.

Jess casually shrugged. "Hey, why am I complaining? I should be thanking you! You're practically handing me the X-Blade on a silver platter! Abandoning everybody else fighting this war to their demise! I'll just make the X-Blade from someone else!" Drake stopped walking, and slowly turned to face Jess. "You know what? I'm gonna do something special. When I get the X-Blade and make the worlds fall before me, I'll let you be my right-hand man, for doing SO much for me!" Drake's grip on his Keyblade tightened, and his knuckles began to crack. "Maybe if you play nice, I'll keep **her** around as a pet…"

Drake swung his Keyblade at her with great force, but Jess drew her Keyblade and blocked the blow. Their blades remained clashed, though neither was trying to push the other back. Drake looked into her eyes. "I. **Will**. Stop you."

Jess chuckled and withdrew her Keyblade. "Go ahead and try." She created dark corridor behind herself, and began to walk into it backwards. "The war begins tomorrow. You want to stop me? You fight." She then disappeared.

**. . .**

Amanda was sitting at the camp, when she looked up and saw Drake running towards her. She immediately stood up, in case something was wrong. Drake approached her and put his hands on her shoulders. "We're fighting in the war."

"What?" Amanda was completely taken aback. "I thought we weren't going to fight anymore. We won't play into Xant's hands."

"Right, we won't," Drake continued, "But we can't let them forge the X-Blade either. If Xant, the other masters, or the dark Keyblade wielders get their hands on it, the worlds are done for. If we fight, and defeat them, we ruin their plans, and ruin Xant's plans."

Amanda paused for a moment, taking all of this in. They were going to fight in a war against thousands, against impossible odds, all so that they could deny their master what he wanted. It was a desperate mission and she knew it. They had no chance of success. She would have to be crazy to agree with this.

Amanda smiled. "So let's fight a war."

**. . .**

As the sun was starting to set the following day, Drake and Amanda found themselves with the other thousands of warriors of light that they had seen earlier. While they were all technically on the same side, Drake and Amanda could only trust each other for this mission. No one else knew just how much was riding on this battle, and it was far too late to get any more recruits. It was literally them against the world.

The chatter amongst the army slowly died down, as everybody started to stare in one direction. Drake and Amanda ran to the front of the army to see the thousands of dark warriors slowly making their way towards them. Though they were at a distance, Drake's eyes narrowed as he watched the army approach. The army that would stop at nothing to forge the X-Blade and take over all the known worlds. The army that Jess is hiding in.

Drake and Amanda continued watching for a moment, and then Drake turned to Amanda. "We stay together," he said, holding out his hand.

Amanda smiled and held it for a moment. "Until the end." She looked at Drake in the eyes. "For Aaron."

Drake silently nodded. The two then turned to look at the army once more. They were starting to walk faster, and soon began sprinting at the warriors of light. Drake and Amanda activated their armor and drew their Keyblades, and they heard everybody behind them do the same. Drake and Amanda looked at each other one last time, and then charged at the enemies in front of them. Both armies were charging at each other full force. Drake and Amanda knew what they had to do. Stop the X-Blade from being forged, stop the dark warriors from destroying everything. Stop Jess.

The armies met, and without losing momentum, Amanda and Drake swung their Keyblades at their opponents.

The Keyblade War had begun.

* * *

FILLER!

Alright, I promise it gets exciting after this. After all, this is what everything has been leading up to, right?

I'd also like to give a special thanks to ozsanlol, who has been the one person who consistantly reviews and provides feedback for this story. Thanks a lot, bud.

Reviews, feedback are nice, so do that.

baylaust out.


	10. The War: Part 1

Oh look, a fast upload. For what will probably be the longest chapter in this series as well. Who woulda thunk?

Alright, this is the moment everything has been leading up to kinda. Despite that, this was actually one of the easiest chapters to write. Huh.

Even though this is the part where the actual war happens, don't think this is the end. I still have a few more events planned for this story.

And I realize that the longer I type this, the longer you have to wait to start reading this crappy fanfic, so get to it.

* * *

**The Keyblade War**

**The War: Part 1**

The word 'bloodshed' could not describe everything happening in the Barren Wasteland.

Keyblade wielders from both sides were falling left and right. Those fighting for light died while believing they were keeping the worlds safe from a greater threat. Those fighting for darkness fell knowing that they were one step closer to their ultimate goal: the X-Blade.

Among those fighting, however, were two warriors who were fighting on their own, not officially on either side, but battling harder than anyone else on that battlefield was.

Drake and Amanda stood back to back, both fully in their armor, fighting off warrior after warrior. As Drake would parry a warrior's strike and impale him with his Keyblade, Amanda would clash with another blade, then use her other hand to send a beam of light through the warrior's chest. A larger group surrounded them, and they jumped apart to cover more ground. After slaying several warriors, Drake hurled his Keyblade to Amanda, who grabbed it and used it and her own blade to fight against her opponents while Drake fought with magic. Amanda then rejoined Drake and returned his Keyblade. When they were surrounded, Drake grabbed Amanda's hand and swung her in the air around him, while she had her Keyblade extended, slashing through all the warriors around them. They were fighting like they never had before.

Warriors of darkness were falling to the ground and fading away, leaving only their Keyblades behind. Many warriors on the side of light were dying as well. Keyblades slowly began to clutter the battlefield.

As the two of them fought together, a giant pillar of land shot up from the ground, rising high into the air. Drake stabbed another dark warrior, and tried to look and see who had caused it. Though it was too high to tell, Drake knew who it was. Only one person he had met here had darkness that powerful.

_Her…_

Drake slashed down another warrior and quickly turned to Amanda. "She's up there! I have to take her down!"

Amanda nodded, and turned to see that the warriors of light were starting to get overpowered by the warriors of darkness. "I'm going to stay here! I know that you can take her on your own, and I'm needed down here!" Drake was about to object to leaving her alone, when she suddenly reversed her grip on her Keyblade and stabbed a man who was behind her. "I can take care of myself down here! Go!" Drake nodded, and began to run for the pillar of land. While running, he slashed down another two dark warriors who here in his way. He then transformed his Keyblade into its Rider form, and flew up the giant pillar.

**. . .**

On top of the pillar were several Keyblades lying on the ground, two warriors of light, and Jess. One warrior ran towards her, but she countered by stabbing him through the stomach. With her blade still in the man, she raised his Keyblade, tearing through his body up to his chest, and then pulled it out. The man then faded away, leaving behind another woman to fight. The two clashed, but Jess pushed her away and slashed her neck. As the woman fell to her knees holding her neck, Jess impaled her through the chest, and she faded away into light. Jess then heard the sound of a Rider approaching, and turned to see Drake fly up into the air, jump off his Rider, and land on the ground. He was still in his armor. Jess smirked. "So you've decided to show up."

Drake glared at her through his helmet, though he was slightly distracted. _She's different from the last time I saw her. _Her hair was now black, instead of the red that it usually was, and a small aura of darkness surrounded her. _She's far stronger than she was before? What, was she holding back all those other times we met?_ Drake, however, didn't voice his concerns, instead saying in a quiet voice, "This ends now."

Jess had a serious face as she looked at Drake. "Don't have to tell me." Her empty hand began to burn with darkness, and she shot a Dark Firaga at Drake.

Drake began to charge at Jess, slashing through her Dark Firaga as he continued running. The images of Aaron's death, the images that Amanda had recounted to him, began to flash in his head. Filled with rage, Drake swung his Keyblade at her. Unfortunately, Jess expected this. She sidestepped his attack and made a strike of her own, but Drake blocked it with the armor on his arm. He turned, and the two began to clash quickly and relentlessly. In time, the two pushed each other back. Both of their Keyblades began to glow, Drake's with light, and Jess's with darkness. They both swung at the other, and a blade of light shot from Drake's Keyblade, and a blade of darkness shot from Jess's. They collided between them, and caused an explosion, pushing Drake and Jess even further apart.

Jess quickly looked over the edge of the pillar they were standing on. She saw that the warriors of light now outnumbered the warriors of darkness. She turned her head to face Drake, who was now quite a distance away from her. "This won't do. Maybe I should even the odds a little bit." With that, her left arm began to glow, and an orb of darkness appeared in her hand. She shot it down at the earth far below them, before turning her attention back to Drake, who was charging at her once again.

**. . .**

Amanda performed a backflip to dodge another strike, and raised her Keyblade to the air. A bolt of lightning came from the sky and struck the warrior she was fighting and killed him. Another dark warrior attacked Amanda, but she ducked under the swing. She used her empty hand to use a Blizzaga on the warrior, who was then frozen solid. Amanda then gently pushed him over, causing his body to shatter and fade away. She looked around, and felt that the warriors of light were starting to gain the advantage.

From high in the air, though, she saw a small orb of darkness shooting down. It blasted into the ground some distance away from her, and a small hole of darkness appeared where it hit. A figure coated in darkness slowly began to rise out of it, and the hole disappeared. The dark coat faded away, revealing an armored figure with glowing red eyes.

Jess's spawn.

It turned to the warriors of light that were surrounding it, and drew a Keyblade. Then as the warriors charged it, the spawn effortlessly slew every single one of them. It walked directly into the army of light, and one by one, began to destroy every warrior of light it saw.

Then a female voice pierced the air. "HEY!"

The spawn slowly turned to see the armored Amanda standing behind it. Though her face was covered with her helmet, no one needed to see it to feel the vibe of hatred she was giving off. "You owe me my best friend's life." The spawn slowly began to walk towards Amanda, slowly gaining speed. Amanda began to approach it as well. "It's time for me to collect!" The two then dashed towards each other at incredible speed.

Once they were together, Amanda immediately stabbed it through its abdomen, but this had already proven to have little effect. She pulled back as it tried to counter with a slash of its Keyblade, and extended her hand. Her Keyblade pulled itself out from its stomach and returned to her grasp. Her Keyblade began to glow, and it shot a beam of light, Amanda now knowing that the creature was vulnerable to light magic. However, it quickly evaded the beam, and punched into the ground. Pillars of darkness then began to shoot up, knocking Amanda into the air. The spawn then jumped after her, and slammed its Keyblade into her stomach, sending her flying into the around. As it fell, it prepared to stab the fallen Amanda, but she managed to roll out of the way at the last second and slashed its ankle. It fell to a knee, and Amanda blasted another beam of light. The spawn sent a beam of darkness to collide with it, and an explosion occurred. Through the smoke, the spawn charged through and caught Amanda off guard, grabbing her by the helmet. It then dragged her across the ground before hurling her into the wall of a cliff.

Amanda fell to her knees, gasping. But she couldn't take a break yet, because the spawn was charging at her again.

**. . .**

Jess flew back after a strike by Drake, and hit the ground hard. Drake slowly walked up to her fallen form. "Doesn't feel good to be on the receiving end, does it?" Drake lifted his arms to prepare for another strike, but in the blink of an eye, Jess raised her hand and shot a beam of darkness at Drake. It hit him directly, and it sent him flying through the air and hitting the ground hard, sliding across it for about 5 meters. As he picked himself up, he saw that half of his helmet was on the ground, shattered. Breathing deeply, he tore off the rest of his helmet and stood up.

He looked at Jess, who was standing up again. His left cheek was bleeding, and his face was covered in dust and dirt. Jess laughed mockingly. "Doesn't feel good to be on the receiving end, does it?"

Drake gave a small chuckle, and then charged at Jess once again, their Keyblades clashing together. However, he knew something was wrong. He was tired, growing weak, but she still had tons of energy left in her. He was losing. He was parried after another strike, and prepared himself for a barrage of blows from Jess.

**. . .**

Amanda and the spawn clashed blades again and again and again, neither one letting up on the other. It felt like there was no end to that thing's energy, while whatever power she had left was fading quickly. The two were held in a bitter clash, neither one giving up, but Amanda knew it was only a matter of time before she was finished.

The spawn harshly pushed her back and slowly walked up to her. It swung its Keyblade slowly, but with great force. She barely deflected its first swing, but the second hit her directly. The armor Amanda was wearing did little to comfort the force of the blow. Despite this, Amanda managed to stay on her feet, refusing to give in. She tried to make one, final slash, desperately hoping that it would be enough to undo the being. The spawn effortlessly parried the attack, knocking Amanda's Keyblade out of her hand. As it fell to the ground behind her, the spawn stabbed Amanda through the stomach.

Amanda gave a sharp gasp of pain, and then felt her senses slowly beginning to fade. Her legs were giving out underneath her, but it mattered little, as the blade through her stomach was forcing her to stay standing. Her armor vanished from her body, and Amanda's hair fell over her face, covering the blood that soaked it. She slowly looked at the spawn standing there, holding its Keyblade through her stomach. It gave a slight tilt of its head, almost as if it didn't understand the concept of the pain she was experiencing. Particles of light started to rise from her body, and Amanda closed her eyes. She tried and failed. It was up to Drake now, to stop both this being and Jess, but she could feel that he was weak. He would be killed. A tear fell from Amanda's eye. She had failed to save herself, and had failed to save Drake.

_Just like Aaron._

_Aaron._

That name was all she needed.

The particles of light stopped rising from her body, and instead, a powerful aura of light surrounded her. The spawn was clearly surprised by this turn of events, as it seemed almost paralyzed by the light she was giving off. Amanda slowly lifted her head to look the creature directly in its 'eyes'. Her hand opened, and her Keyblade returned to her grasp. She took a slow step forward, further impaling herself of the being's blade, but closing whatever gap there was between the two.

She raised her Keyblade, and pointed it directly at the creature's helmet. It gathered energy, and then shot a beam of light.

The blast pierced right through its helmet, and its body jerked back. It released its grip on the Keyblade piercing through Amanda. Particles of darkness quickly began to rise from its body, and the spawn fell backwards. It had faded away before it even hit the ground. After this, the Keyblade in Amanda's stomach turned black, and melted away into darkness.

Amanda fell to her knees, the aura of light fading away and her breathing erratic. She raised her Keyblade to try and use a cure spell, but she had used all of her magic reserves in the moment beforehand. Her armor was trashed, so she wouldn't be able to summon it for a while. All she could do was hang on to her life until she could heal herself. All of a sudden, she turned to the pillar of earth that shot up to the sky. "Drake," she muttered. She managed to pick herself up from the ground and began to stagger forward. "Drake… Drake…" She turned her Keyblade into its Rider form and, barely managing to hold on, began to fly up the pillar.

**. . .**

Drake was unable to pick himself up from the ground. He had already used a Cure spell previously in the fight, so his magic reserves were drained. All he could do was lie on the ground in agony as Jess stared at him. She clearly looked disappointed in him. "Is that really the best you can do? Come on, get up! I can't forge the X-Blade if you're a pathetic, slobbering mess lying on the ground!" Drake tried to stand up, but quickly fell back to the ground. Jess shook her head. "You really are worthless, aren't you? Well, if you can't give me the X-Blade, I'll just get one of those other ignorant fools down there to help me. Well, it looks like you're no longer needed."

Jess slowly began to approach the fallen Drake, when she suddenly heard the sound of a Rider approaching. From out of nowhere, Amanda landed on the pillar, standing between Jess and Drake. As Drake slowly lifted his head, he could see in her stomach what was unmistakingly a stab wound. "Amanda…"

"Stop… get your energy back…" Amanda was breathing heavily, clearly on the verge of death, yet still holding on. "I'll protect you… I promise…" Amanda slowly turned to face Jess, who was smirking.

"So," Jess said, "it's some girl who can barely stand, and a guy who can't even do that, against me. This is almost unfair." Her smirk turned into a smile. "Oh well, this can't hurt your odds any more than they already are." She opened the palm of her hand, but nothing came out. She shook her arm, but nothing was happening.

Amanda gave a cocky smirk. "What's wrong…? Not getting… any backup?"

Jess looked once again at Amanda. "So you took it down, huh? I'm genuinely impressed. Don't think that helps you in any way, though." Jess dashed at Amanda and went on the offensive, with Amanda barely able to keep up with her strikes.

Drake wiped some blood off of his face, and pressed his hands on the ground under his body. Slowly, he began to push himself off the ground, managing to get to his hands and knees.

Amanda gave a desperate slash at Jess, but the dark warrior caught her blade in midswing, gazing at Amanda. "I sincerely hope that isn't the best you have to offer. If so, then killing you will be doing those light guys a favor!" Jess then gave a devastating backhand to Amanda's face, and struck her in the stomach with the hilt of her Keyblade, hitting right where her stab wound was. Amanda gasped, and fell to her knees.

Drake managed to get himself on his feet, though his legs were shaking. He took a step forward, but his legs then gave out, and he fell to one knee.

Jess suddenly vanished into thin air. Amanda looked around to try and find her, but suddenly found her self unable to breathe. Jess had reappeared behind Amanda, and now had a firm grip on her neck. She slowly began to lift Amanda off the ground.

Drake had finally summoned the strength to stand on his own two legs, partially motivated by the sight of watching his only remaining friend being slowly killed. He drew his Keyblade, but still didn't have the strength to use a ranged attack. All he could do was stumble forward. "No…" His stumble slowly turned into a walk. "Let her go…"

Amanda's breathing was starting to slow down, when Jess slightly loosened her grip. Amanda managed to get in a sharp breath of air when she heard Jess softly speak to her. "Enjoy it. That will be your last."

Drake was very slowly gaining his strength back, and now was beginning to increase his speed, when he heard the sound of a Keyblade being drawn. Jess's Keyblade. He quickly raised his hand and stretched it out, hoping in vain that it would do anything.

"AMANDA!"

Then Drake watched as Jess's Keyblade shot into Amanda's chest, right through her heart.

At that moment, there was nothing else. Jess seemingly vanished, and the sounds of the ongoing battle below them faded away. There was only Drake and Amanda, who now had particles of light rising from her body. She slowly turned her head to look at Drake, who seemed frozen. He wanted to run forward and hold her, but every muscle in his body refused to obey him, like he was in shock. Drake saw Amanda say something directed to him, but he couldn't make out what it was.

Drake could only watch as Amanda, the only loved one he had left, turned a bright white and faded away, and her Keyblade fell to the ground.

The sound of Jess's voice snapped him back to the real world. "Looks like I'm 2 for 2." She smiled evilly. "How about I make it 3 for 3?"

Tears were falling down Drake's face, but his fists were clenched extremely tightly. A powerful aura of light took over his body, outmatching the one that Jess had around herself at the moment. All the sadness and pain he had felt, had transformed into rage. He felt strength pour into his body like he had never felt before. Letting out a piercing cry, Drake zoomed in on Jess at a speed that managed to catch her off guard. The ensuing strike sent her flying across the pillar, nearly over the edge. Jess barely managed to get back on her feet before Drake was on her again. Their blades clashed again and again, each strike faster and more powerful than the last. Drake could see Jess mouthing the word "Perfect" during one of their clashes.

Finally, the two of them pushed each other back, and charged at each other. The ensuing clash was stronger than any one beforehand.

That was the moment where their powers were equal.

A giant beam of energy shot down from where they had clashed, knocking the two of them to opposite ends of the pillar. Both of them dropped their Keyblades, and stared at the red blast of pure power shooting up to the sky. After about a minute, the energy vanished, and the two of them saw a weapon stabbed into the ground.

It appeared to be made of two Kingdom Keys crossing over each other, their handles fused into one large handle. From between the crossed blades shot out one larger, bright gold blade. From the look on Jess's face, and the unique appearance of the weapon, Drake knew it could only be one thing.

The X-Blade.

Both Drake and Jess immediately stood up and began to run for the weapon. Though Drake had no interest in the power it held, he knew that he could NOT let Jess get her hands on that weapon. If she did, the war would end, and no one would be able to stop her. Both leapt as hard as they could, hoping to get there before the other.

Jess's hand closed around the handle of the X-Blade a millisecond before Drake reached it. That was all she needed. She yanked it out of the ground, rolled, and stood up once again, holding the most powerful weapon in existence in her hands. Drake stood up as well, quickly drawing his Keyblade in an attempt to stop her. However, Drake saw the aura of darkness around her body grow immensely, and turn from black to orange. Her golden eyes now seemed to be glowing. Drake knew it was over.

Jess let out a powerful laugh, and raised the X-Blade to the sky. "Now…. let's finish this!" An orange beam shot up to the sky, and shockwaves of energy began to shoot in all directions. Drake raised his arms in front of his eyes as a bright light covered his vision.

* * *

Remember when this story was funny?

Anyway, there's still gonna be at least two more chapters to this story, so it's almost done.

Thank God.

So review, tell me how this sucked, and what didn't suck, and how to make it suck less. It'd be appreciated.

Also, thanks to all of the people who have reviewed my story so far.

baylaust out.


	11. The War: Part 2

Alright, it's time for the final battle. Everything has been leading up to this. Characters have been killed off, just to set up this moment.

Are you ready to be disappointed?

I certainly hope so.

So go on ahead, and start reading.

* * *

**The Keyblade War**

**The War: Part 2**

Drake had no idea how long he had been out, or what had just happened. All he could feel was the ringing in his ears, and all he could see was a bunch of blurry images. He looked up and was barely able to see the sky, now dark and cloudy. Piece by piece, his senses returned to him, and he tried to put together what had happened before he blacked out. Amanda was killed… he and Jess battled each other… the X-Blade was born, and Jess had gotten to it first…

…but after that, there was nothing. He had just blacked out. He didn't know if he had gone into shock, or if Jess had done something to him. Drake slowly picked himself off of the ground, wiping some dirt and blood off of his face. Despite his lost helmet, his armor was still intact for the most part. His head ached horribly, but he tried to push that aside for now. He was still alive, and that was all that mattered. Even if there was no hope left, he had to stand up to Jess. Maybe even get help from some of the other fighters down below the giant pillar Jess had created.

That's when Drake realized what he was listening to. Not the sounds of blades clashing over and over again. Not the sounds of battle cries and falling soldiers. It was something else. Something far worse.

Absolute silence.

Drake suddenly snapped to attention and turned around to see Jess, X-Blade in her hand. Drake felt a power like he had never felt before emitting from her body. She was surrounded by a gold aura, with a small bolt of electricity coming every now and then. The aura was so powerful that it was causing her hair to slightly float. She was facing away from Drake, looking over the edge of the cliff. Her voice was surprisingly calm. "I don't think I've ever seen something so beautiful, have you?"

Drake cautiously walked towards her, his Keyblade appearing in his hand. She spoke again. "Come on, I won't bite. Not yet."

Eventually, Drake stood beside her, looking over the battlefield. Drake suddenly jolted forward a bit and gasped. "No…"

There was no one left. Every single man and woman who was down there, light or dark, was gone. All that remained of them were their Keyblades, all lying cluttered on the rocky surface of the world. He and Jess were the only two souls alive on this rock. Drake's fists clenched. "What have you done…?"

"Simple: I've disposed of the dead weight. Now that this weapon is mine, each and every one of the warriors here are useless. So I eliminated them." Drake then remembered the shockwave that Jess created right before he blacked out. _Was that her cleansing this world of all life? How can anyone be that powerful? Can anything stop her?_ Jess smiled. "You, on the other hand…"

Jess turned with incredible speed to slash at Drake. Drake barely had enough time to raise his Keyblade to block the attack. Their blades clashed, but the force of her swing was enough to send Drake sliding on the ground, all the way to the opposite side of the pillar. "You, I wanted to spare… so that I could make sure you suffered before you died." Jess vanished in thin air, and reappeared in front of Drake. She slashed, but Drake rolled underneath the attack, getting behind her. He tried to slash while her back was turned, but a millisecond before it could make contact, Jess turned around with impossible speed and blocked the attack. She casually moved her blade forward, which pushed Drake to the ground, rolling a good ten feet back. Jess raised the X-Blade to the sky, and a gold energy enveloped the weapon. She then stabbed it into the ground, creating a series of explosions that were heading towards Drake. Drake managed to roll to the side, but as he was in the air, Jess appeared and grabbed him by the chest. She then lifted him into the air and slammed him into the ground, with cracks appearing in the rocks. She turned and walked away from Drake, as Drake was coughing, very slowly lifting himself off of the ground.

"I knew." Jess began to speak, her voice still calm. _She knows that she has this battle won. Why not drag it out as long as possible?_ "I knew from the moment I lay my eyes on you that you were the one I needed. Every other warrior of light was just another pawn that had to be removed from the board. But you… you were different from the others. You had something more. More light, more power, I don't know. Whatever it was, I knew from the moment we clashed blades on that field that you were the one who would give me the X-Blade." Drake ran at her again, and clashed blades with her. Their weapons clashed over and over again, Drake desperately trying to get so much as a hit on her, but it was useless. As long as she had that weapon, Drake was outmatched in every way. Eventually, Jess parried one of Drake's strikes and delivered a devastating punch to his stomach, followed by a kick to the chest that sent him to the ground.

"So, I had to make sure that you remained alive during all of this, and that you would come here today and fight this war. If at any moment you fell, everything would have gone to waste. Keeping you alive was easy enough, but another threat began to rise. You were going to bow out of the war, something worse than having you killed. I couldn't let you abandon your destiny… our destiny, so I had to give you motivation."

Drake stabbed his Keyblade into the ground, and used it to lift himself up. "Aaron and Amanda…"

"You wanted to run away with your friends, go somewhere so you could abandon your fate. I had to send you a message: you can't escape your destiny. So I made an example of him." Jess dashed at Drake and swung, but Drake rolled out of the way. The X-Blade hit the ground, creating a small crater where it hit.

"When I saw that you didn't have the strength to give me the X-Blade, I had to unlock your hidden power. I did that by taking her away. Nothing is more dangerous than a man with nothing left to lose." Jess swung the X-Blade, and a blade of gold energy shot at Drake. Drake swung his Keyblade to counter it, and he was covered by a huge explosion. When the smoke cleared, Drake was somehow still standing. Drake took in everything that Jess had explained to him. How could he have been so blind? He was so focused on making sure that Xant didn't get his way, that he had given Jess everything that she needed. She had managed to seem so childish, so playful, and so immature. He knew that she was a threat, but he never imagined just how intelligent, scheming, and downright **evil** she was.

"Finally, we arrive at this moment. You've both succeeded, and failed, in every possible way. I have everything that I need, so I no longer need you. I've had my fun. I'm satisfied." Drake felt a pulsing anger deep within himself. "From this point on, the battle rests on your shoulders. Ask me to put you out of your misery, and I will grant that request. If you keep fighting…" Jess pointed the X-Blade at Drake. "…and I will make sure your suffering continues until you beg for me to kill you."

Drake thought of everybody that had fallen by her hand. Everyone, both light and dark, whose lives were cut short by her blade. It wasn't about honoring Amanda or Aaron. It was about every warrior who was now gone forever. To give in to her demands would be insulting the thousands who gave up their lives in this war, regardless of their intentions. "In that case…" Drake swung his Keyblade to his side. "Let's go!"

Jess smirked. "Let's."

**. . .**

_**Drake, Aaron, and Amanda left the Sanctuary doors and walked to the entrance outside. The three of them looked up to the sky, getting ready for their journey. Drake pointed his Keyblade to the sky and a beam of light shot from it. The beam stopped midair, and created a portal in the sky. Drake then hit the armor pad on his left arm and his body was engulfed by light. When his body was visible again, he was covered in gold armor, with a silver cape. He looked at Amanda. "500 munny says we're back by the end of the night."**_

_**Amanda smirked and shook his hand. "You, my friend, have got yourself a bet!"**_

**. . .**

Drake performed a backflip and shot a blast of fire from his Keyblade. Jess caught it in her hand, and the flames turned black. She then hurled it back at Drake, who slashed through it. He lunged at her, but she sidestepped his attack and performed a strike of her own. It connected with Drake's arm, causing a blinding pain. Bits of his armor fell off of where he was hit. She then swung the X-Blade horizontally. Drake dashed back to avoid it, but the swing created a huge gust of wind that sent Drake flying through the air like a ragdoll. Drake hit the ground hard, and rolled a few feet.

Jess slightly chuckled. "You continually amaze me." Drake was standing up again, refusing to give in. Despite his determination, he was at his physical limits.

"You failed to protect the girl. You failed to protect the boy. You failed to protect every single fighter in this war!" The X-Blade began to gather energy. "What makes you think that you can do a better job at protecting YOURSELF?" She swung the X-Blade, and a gold blade of energy shot at Drake. Drake lifted his Keyblade to block the blast, and the ensuing block knocked Drake's Keyblade out of his hands. Before he had time to call it back, Jess was sending another blade of energy at him. With no means to defend himself, Drake crossed his arms in front of his face and chest.

The ensuing blast hit him head on, and sent him flying to the ground. The strength of the blow completely shattered what was left of Drake's armor, and he was now on his hands and knees, coughing up blood. He knew that if he took another hit like that, he would be finished. He also knew that Jess would make sure to only use attacks that would keep him alive, to prolong his pain. The fight still wasn't over.

"Why do you refuse to give in?" Jess clearly wasn't amused anymore. "I hold a power that no human could dream of matching, yet you continue to stand in my way!" She slowly began to walk towards him. "This can only end in one way: with me, standing above your fallen corpse! Why prolong the inevitable? You have the opportunity to end this! Take it!"

Drake barely even had the strength to look up. His breathing was heavy, his vision was blurry, and memories of Amanda, Aaron, everyone he knew continuously flashed through his mind.

Finally, Drake spoke. "You're right."

Jess was clearly surprised by his answer, but hid it with a smug expression on her face. "I am, am I?"

"Yeah. I've failed to save Amanda. I've failed to save Aaron. Everybody I've ever cared about is gone. I've failed to stop you. Only a complete fool wouldn't be able to see that I have no chance. You've won, and I've lost. It would only make sense for me to take this opportunity to end my suffering."

Jess gave an evil smile, and stepped closer to Drake.

However, he looked up to stare her in the eyes. "But I don't care about that." He began to stand on one knee. "Thousands of men and women have died here, and to die without a fight would be an insult to them." Drake was now on both legs, though his knees were still shaking. "My friends gave up their lives for this battle, and I know that even as they died, they believed in me. You said it yourself: this isn't all about me. It's about them. It's about every single warrior whose Keyblade is now laying on the ground down there. So I will stay here…" Drake's legs finally managed to become straight, somehow managing to support his weight. "…I will hold my ground…" Drake drew his Keyblade, and held it with both hands.

"…and I will do everything in my power to make sure you FAIL!"

Jess's face showed no emotion, though it was easy to tell that she was not amused by Drake's speech. "I can say this: you're persistent. I can respect that. But know this…" The X-Blade began to glow gold with energy. "Persistence means nothing, in the face of pure POWER!" She raised the blade in preparation for a lethal strike, and Drake prepared himself to block it.

Out of nowhere, a powerful light blinded the two, and a forceful blast occurred between them. It pushed Jess away, but Drake was seemingly unaffected. As the light cleared, Drake looked down to see two Keyblades stabbed into the ground: the Oblivion, and Fenrir.

Aaron and Amanda's Keyblades.

Drake fell to his knees, looking at the weapons. He wondered how this was possible, how his friends' weapons had appeared before him when he was at his weakest moment.

That's when he remembered the promise he made to Amanda, not long before the war began. Drake quietly whispered to himself, "We stand together… until the end." Drake then stood up again, dismissing his own Keyblade. While glaring at Jess, he instead picked up his friends' Keyblades from the ground. Immediately, a powerful aura of light covered him. "We're not finished yet, Jess."

Jess raised her eyebrows in interest. "So I see. It looks like this is finally going to get interesting!" Both warriors charged at each other, Jess with the X-Blade, and Drake dual-wielding Amanda and Aaron's weapons. They clashed together, and their weapons created a shockwave that blasted around them. Cracks began to appear on the ground where they were standing. Jess began laughing. "Now this is more like it!" Drake was completely silent, a fierce look of determination on his face.

Suddenly, Jess began to feel herself getting pushed back. She looked at her feet, which were now sliding back, and then she looked back to Drake. "What?" She was suddenly parried by Drake, who went on the offensive. He first struck her in the stomach with Aaron's Keyblade, and then knocked her into the air with Amanda's. Jess fell to the ground and rolled a little bit, but managed to pick herself up from the ground fairly quickly. She could feel an incredible power coming from Drake. One that matched, or possibly even surpassed her own. "No… this is NOT happening!"

Drake was calmly walking towards her, his grip on his Keyblades never loosening. Jess desperately charged at Drake, using all of her power. It wasn't enough. He blocked all of her strikes, no matter how fast or powerful her swings were. She finally raised the X-Blade for a strike, but Drake spun around her. He then slammed both Keyblades into her back and pushed her to the ground. As she got up, she didn't have time to prepare herself for another attack from Drake. Drake unleashed a relentless flurry of blows on Jess. Strike after strike connected with brutal force, until Drake struck her across the face with the hilt of Oblivion, and then kicked her across the pillar.

Jess felt the gold aura around her slowly beginning to fade away. She felt an incredible hatred for Drake, and began to shout, "HOW? How is this possible? I have the X-Blade, the most powerful weapon in existence! This blade can make the Gods in Olympus Coliseum bow down before me! You're just a normal MAN! How can you be stronger than me? HOW?"

Drake looked at her. "It's rather simple. For a girl who continuously refers to people as 'stupid' or 'idiots', I would have expected you to pick up on it sooner." Drake began to step forward. "Not that I can blame you. I've only just realized this myself. You're alone. You've shunned every single warrior here, convinced that you, and you alone, had the strength to conquer everything. Any power you have comes from you, and only you, because you've only ever cared about yourself."

Drake held one of his hands, still gripping Aaron's Keyblade, to his heart. "My friends, however, are always with me, even in death. They believed in me, just like I believed in them. Because of that, I fight not just with my own strength, but the strength of those I care about. That does more than any legendary weapon will ever give you."

Drake began to increase his speed of movement. "All of your power comes from that weapon. As for me…" Jess and Drake were now sprinting at each other, with Jess giving out a powerful cry of pure rage. They approached each other, and swung their weapons. In a quick flash of light, they were now on opposite ends of the pillar, both of their blades swung to the side. Both were momentarily silent. Drake then raised his friends' weapons into the air.

"My friends are my power."

He stabbed the Keyblades into the ground, and then heard the sound of Jess falling to the ground, the X-Blade falling out of her hands.

He began to walk away, but he was stopped by the sound of labored breathing behind him. He turned to see Jess lying on the ground, particles of darkness rising from her body, struggling to stay alive. Drake sighed, and began to walk over to her. He stopped when he reached her, and sat down beside her as she slowly began to fade away. "Why are you still here…?"

Drake was looking over the edge of the pillar at the fields of Keyblades lying on the ground. His feet legs were dangling over the edge of the cliff. "No one should spend their last moments completely alone."

Jess gave a weak chuckle. "Don't tell me… this is your attempt to reform me… just before I die… if it is, then save it…"

Drake shook his head, still not looking at her. "I'm not making you switch sides or anything. I just hope that I can teach you something."

Jess sighed, clearly uninterested. "And what… would that be…?"

Drake looked up to the sky. "That not everyone is your enemy. This war, everything that's happened over the last few weeks, has taught me something important: there is no such thing as good and evil. I know now that there are users of light that can be just as twisted as a user of darkness, and I have no doubts that there are dark warriors that believe in the right things, like warriors of light."

Jess was looking at Drake now, interested in what he was saying.

"The dark masters wanted light to be destroyed. The light masters, they wanted darkness to die. So they sent us, their pupils, and kids, to do this for them. They knew that we would never question their judgments. Or at least, they didn't expect us to." Drake thought back to when Aaron was convinced that Xant had betrayed them. Back then, Drake would never have thought about questioning his former master's authority. He was so blind.

"We didn't have to be their tools. We could have cast them away whenever we wanted to, but we didn't. You didn't." Drake could hear Jess's breathing beginning to slow down. "But I'm not putting all of the blame on you. No one ever made an attempt to reach out to you, to show you that you didn't have to be a pawn of your masters. You didn't have to be alone. I never made that attempt. And when I knew the truth, what I could say, it was already too late. If I had made that attempt, maybe everything would be different. I don't know." Drake lowered his head. "I'm sorry."

"No…" Drake heard Jess speaking quietly. Her time was almost up. "I never tried to reach out. I didn't think… it would do anything. I thought… I had to be alone… no one would understand what it was like to be told… that I would be the one to forge the X-Blade." Her voice began to get shaky. "I wish I did… I wish I didn't have to… go…"

Suddenly, she slowly looked to see Drake's hand on her shoulder. Drake was now looking at her. A girl who was committed to a fate she never chose, who thought that no matter what she did, she had to play into someone's hands. It was at that moment that Drake realized that him and Jess were not all that different. "I know."

Drake saw a tear form in Jess's eyes, just before they closed. Her body began to glow with dark energy. Jess, the woman who forged the X-Blade, the woman who ended the war, who killed his friends, faded away into darkness, leaving nothing behind. Despite everything she had done, Drake's feelings for her weren't anger, or hatred. They were pity. "I know…"

Drake stood up from the edge of the cliff, looking down at the ground below him. There was pure silence. Nothing but the wind blowing on Drake's face, which caused a stinging in his bruises and cuts. He turned around to see the X-Blade, which was still lying on the ground. The war was over. Everyone had fallen. Only he was still alive. It was over. Drake closed his eyes, thinking about Amanda, Aaron, even about Jess. Then one more person entered his mind.

Drake opened his eyes. No. It wasn't over. Not yet. There was still one more thing he had to do. Drake kneeled down and picked up the X-Blade.

* * *

You mean it's not over yet? God dammit.

Yes, I'm going to have at least one more chapter, at most two more chapters.

But alas, it's finally almost done, thank God.

Reviews, tips on how to improve are always appreciated.

baylaust out.


	12. The Chains

Oh man, it's so close to being done, I can almost taste it.

Tastes like a crappy fanfic.

Since this is an unofficial, fanmade prequel to the KH series, it has to tie in with the games somehow.

This is how.

* * *

**The Keyblade War**

**The Chains**

Night had fallen over the Sanctuary of Light.

It had been over a week since Xant had heard anything on the Barren Wasteland. All things considered, since none of the other masters had any word either, Xant could only assume that the mission was a failure, and that all of the Keyblade warriors that had been sent were killed. Xant smirked. _Well, if they were too weak to forge the X-Blade, then they were all expendable anyway._ Xant prepared to go to sleep. Tomorrow, he would begin visiting other worlds, finding potential Keyblade wielders. One day, he would be able to try again.

Just before he could rest, Xant heard the sound of the Sanctuary's crystal doors opening and slamming shut, the brief interval in between letting in the sounds of pouring rain and thunder outside. Footsteps echoed through the castle before someone spoke. "Get out here, 'master'."

_Drake._

Xant stood up and began wandering the castle, eager to find his finest student. "You have quite some nerve to show your face here, boy." Xant drew his Keyblade, a simple looking blade that appeared similar in fashion to an olden-times key. "Especially after abandoning your master in pursuit of your own desires."

Drake's voice responded deeper in the castle, slowly drawing Xant to his location. "You and all those other corrupt men and women sent thousands of warriors to their deaths. All of them, Amanda, Aaron… all of them are gone, except for me." His voice began to grow more powerful. "Quite frankly, **you **have quite some nerve to believe that you're worthy of the title 'master'."

Xant laughed, echoing through the castle as a flash of lightning briefly illuminated the interior. "You are a student, Drake! You always have been, and you always will be! After everything you've learned in this time, you seem to have forgotten your place in things." Xant looked to his sides, still hunting for Drake. "If I give you an order, you carry it out without question. If I give you advice on how to improve your abilities, you take it without question." Lightning flashed again. "If I deem that your usefulness has run out, you fall on your knees and DIE without question!"

Xant heard a small chuckle, further drawing him to its source. "Then I guess it's a good thing that a friend of mine taught me how to question authority once in a while, isn't it?"

Xant had made his way to the grand hall of the Sanctuary, and stopped. "I'm afraid we have a difference of opinion on that, boy."

Drake was standing near the entrance of the castle. Another flash of lightning covered the interior of the castle. Drake's clothes were torn up, dirt and blood covered most of his body, and he wore a hood over his head, casting a shadow over his face. Xant and Drake, both at opposite ends of the hall, slowly began to walk towards each other. Xant was smirking the entire time. "So, why have you returned here?"

"Simple: to tie up loose ends. To end this corruption at its source, once and for all."

"I've already told you, boy, I am not corrupted! Darkness has NO hold over me!"

Drake shook his head. "You still don't get it. Light can be just as poisonous as darkness, just like how darkness can be as useful a tool as light can be." Drake pointed at Xant. "You are the perfect example of this."

By now, the two were face to face, staring each other down. Xant gripped his Keyblade tightly, while Drake remained unarmed. "Well then, I suppose it's time we found out who is right in this little debate."

Drake smirked under his hood. "Give me everything you've got, old man."

Xant raised his blade in preparation for a strike. Just as he brought his weapon down, Drake raised his hand, and a blast of light and darkness shot from it. Xant's Keyblade collided with Drake's, and the force caused a shockwave that put cracks in all of the Sanctuary's crystal walls. After Xant opened his eyes from the shock, he saw the weapon Drake was using.

"The X-Blade!" Xant withdrew his weapon for a moment, and laughed. "So, I suppose I was wrong about you, boy! You really CAN get a job done! Now, give that blade to its rightful master." Xant extended his hand to Drake.

Drake simply pushed his former master's hand aside. "Sorry, old man, but I don't think you deserve this sort of power."

Rage slowly began to fill Xant's body. He redrew his Keyblade and prepared to strike Drake. Drake simply swung the X-Blade, and a powerful gust of wind shot from it. Xant flew across the hallway, slamming against the wall at the opposite end behind the thrones. His Keyblade fell to the ground beside him as he crumpled to the floor, unable to pick himself up. Drake slowly walked across the hall, making his way to his former master. He was speaking slowly, since the wind was likely knocked out of him by the blow. "So what now…? You kill me…? Go ahead… I welcome it… prove that you've become a slave to darkness… prove me right…"

Drake held the X-Blade to Xant's throat. After a good ten seconds, Drake withdrew the blade. "No, I won't kill you. That would be far too kind." Drake looked at the back of the throne. "What I'm going to do instead, is save this world from the corruption threatening it." Drake was now looking at Xant's Keyblade.

Xant immediately knew what Drake was planning, and began to laugh weakly. "Don't waste your time, boy… that technique is reserved for when a world is truly in danger… the weapon will not side with you…"

"A man who is responsible for sending thousands of teenagers, students, children, to their deaths is currently calling this place his home. I'd say that it's in danger. Let the Keyblade decide." Drake and Xant extended their hands at Xant's Keyblade, issuing a mental command to summon the blade. After a few moments, the blade vanished and reappeared.

In Drake's hand.

Xant's expression slowly turned from smug to horror. "No…"

Drake looked at the weapon. "Then I guess this is it." Drake walked directly behind the throne, and pointed Xant's Keyblade at it. A Keyhole appeared on the back of the throne.

Xant was holding his chest, and was now on his hands and knees. "Don't do it, boy…"

Drake's eyes narrowed, and he shot a beam of light from the Keyblade into the Keyhole. "If this world is ever put in danger, utilize this Keyhole, and all of its intruders will be lost to oblivion."

Light consumed everything.

**. . .**

By the time either Xant or Drake could open their eyes again, the castle had completely changed. The world had changed. The classic style, crystal castle had been replaced with one of more unique, illogical design. The hallways were colorful, and the thrones had changed from crystal to brown. Outside, Drake saw through the windows that the courtyard was much more vibrant and lively, with gardens around it.

Xant had now lifted himself up to one knee. "What… what have you DONE?"

Drake looked back at his former master. "I've saved this world. What does it look like?" Drake, still holding on to Xant's Keyblade, began to walk for the exit.

Xant was now on his legs again, slowly stumbling for Drake. "You will not escape us… you will not escape ME! I will hunt you, I will find you, and I will destroy you, no matter how long it takes, do you hear me?"

Drake stopped in front of the doors to the world. "Before you can find me, you have to find your way out of this castle, first." Drake then opened the doors and left, closing them behind him.

Xant's stumble turned into a run, and then a sprint. He dashed at the door and flung it open, only to find another room behind them. Falling to his knees, Xant let out a cry of pure rage.

**. . .**

Drake was in the courtyard of this new world. The rain had stopped, and the moon was out. It almost looked beautiful. It was a shame he couldn't stay to admire it. Other masters were likely on their way to investigate. Drake took Xant's Keyblade, and stabbed it into the ground. Still holding it, he closed his eyes, and the weapon began to glow.

"_For whoever next takes this weapon, listen to my words. This Keyblade marks the end of an old world, and the beginning of a new world. A land that, after its creation, I will depart from for the first and final time. Let anyone who seeks power for selfish and impure desires, upon entering this castle, be forever doomed to walk its halls until their end time has come. When you, the wielder who understands that balance is the key to the further survival of the worlds, that there is no good nor evil, that light and darkness are two sides of the same coin… when you take this Keyblade and hear this message, use it to unlock this castle's true form, and restore it to its former glory. This I beg of you. Do not let this world forever be a land of departure."_

Drake opened his eyes and then let go of the Keyblade. He then withdrew the X-Blade and created a dark corridor. He looked at the new castle one last time, and entered the corridor.

Drake reappeared in the Barren wasteland, in the middle of the battlefield. He looked around and saw all of the weapons lying on the ground. Each weapon was a reminder of another person that gave up their life for this world. Light or dark. They deserved better than a mess of Keyblades lying carelessly on the ground. They deserved something more. Some kind of memorial, even if it wasn't much.

Before Drake got started, he drew the X-Blade and stared at it. Its power was incredible, and the moments where he held it, felt like the best moments of his life. If he wanted to, Drake could rework the entire universe into his ideal image. Knowing this, Drake silently vowed never to summon the weapon again, and withdrew it.

Drake picked up a Keyblade, and stabbed it firmly into the ground.

_**. . .**_

_**Two Months Later**_

_**. . .**_

Drake looked upon the work he had done.

The vast clutter that this world was a couple months ago have become an organized memorial of every single soldier on both sides that had lost their life. It wasn't a Barren Wasteland anymore.

It was the Keyblade Graveyard.

Drake made sure to keep pathways in between the field of Keys so that in case anyone ever did return here, they would be able to move about with some ease. He looked down at his feet to see the two Keyblades he had been saving for last: the Oblivion and Fenrir.

Amanda and Aaron's weapons.

He slowly picked them up and stared at them for what felt like an eternity. After this, he stabbed them both into the ground, ending his last mission. He looked upon the field for what he wanted to be the last time, and turned to walk away.

As Drake was now up on a cliff that overlooked the plains still walking away, he suddenly stopped, feeling something. _Something's wrong. There's darkness. A lot of it._ Drake turned and saw Heartless gathering on the plains. Creatures created from the darkness in people's hearts.

Drake's eyes widened. Several thousand Keyblade wielders had fallen. Several thousand hearts containing darkness.

Drake could only watch as the plains became a sea of darkness. Shadows, Neoshadows, and Darksides as far as the eye could see. Drake began to back away. He could easily escape now, and survive. It would take very little effort. Besides, one man fighting against all of these? It was suicide.

Then Drake stopped. What if the Heartless found their way off of this world, and onto others? Ones populated, with innocents living there? If they did, they wouldn't stand a chance against this many. The worlds would fall.

Drake stopped backing up, and his breathing slowed down. He closed his eyes.

He had to stay.

He had to fight.

He had to wear down their numbers as much as he could. Even if he didn't get all of them, strike enough down that the rest can be defeated with ease.

Drake opened his eyes, and he couldn't believe what he was seeing for a moment. He knew he was seeing things, but the semi-transparent figures of Amanda and Aaron were standing before him, smiling.

_**Amanda turned and began to follow Aaron's voice. "Can you tell me after?"**_

_**Drake sighed. "Sure…"**_

The apparition of Amanda walked up to Drake and pressed her hand on his shoulder. Drake's armor covered his body. She smiled at him. "We stand together." She then vanished.

Drake then turned to Aaron, who had his arms crossed.

_**Aaron sighed briefly, and then grabbed Drake's hand. "Sounds good, chief. Get back quickly."**_

"_**Don't I always?"**_

Aaron was holding a transparent version of Drake's Keyblade, the Hero's Crest. He tossed it to Drake, who reached to catch it. As his hand closed around the grip, a flash of light burst from his hand, and the weapon was now in his grasp. "Give 'em one for me, will ya?" Aaron vanished as well.

Drake closed his eyes through his armor and smiled. _Thanks guys… for everything…_ Drake then lifted his head, and began charging as fast as he could. Letting out a fierce battle cry, Drake leapt off the cliff and into the sea of Heartless.

* * *

Alrighty, one chapter left after this; the epilogue of the story. It's going to be short, it's going to be sweet.

Reviews, and advice are appreciated.

baylaust out.


	13. Epilogue: The End

As I said, this is going to be a very short chapter, since there's only one thing left that has to happen in this RP.

Probably not going to be well written either, but what can you do?

On that note, let's end this

* * *

**The Keyblade War**

**Epilogue: The End**

When Drake entered his final battle, the sun shined brilliantly over The Keyblade Graveyard. As the battle came to its end, the full moon illuminated the world.

Drake's armor slowly crumbled off of his body, and the boy simply stood, completely drained of his energy. There were thousands upon thousands of Heartless when he jumped into the seemingly endless sea of Shadows, Neoshadows, and Darksides. Hours later, Drake now predicted that there was barely over a hundred Heartless left, among them mostly Shadows, a few Neoshadows, and a single Darkside. Drake's Keyblade began to glow, and with whatever strength he had left, he swung it, sending a blade of light going straight through the last remaining Darkside as it vanished.

Even though he had done all of this, Drake now had absolutely nothing left in him. His body refused his minds orders to fight, instead demanding rest. Drake collapsed to his knees, stabbing his Keyblade into the ground beside him. He didn't even have the strength to keep his hand on the weapon's hilt, and he let go of the blade, letting his arm fall limply to his side. He merely sat on his knees, breathing heavily. Scratches covered his face as he summoned the strength to lift his head and look at the dark creatures will glowing yellow eyes closing in a circle around him.

Despite knowing that it was almost over, Drake was happy. He came into the battle not with the intention to win, but make their numbers manageable. So that when the Heartless left this world, when they traveled to others, the remaining few could be destroyed without effort.

Drake closed his eyes and smiled, his breathing calming down. _We did it… we saved the worlds, guys…_

_**Night had fallen. 24 hours ago, they had resolved to answer their questions, but were now more lost than ever before. Amanda ran her hand through her hair a bit. "What have we gotten ourselves into, guys?"**_

_**Aaron was on the verge of freaking out. "A WAR? We're not ready to fight a war! Amanda and I aren't even masters! We're going to get ourselves killed!"**_

_**Amanda put her arm on Aaron's shoulder. "We'll do what we have to do, and go home. You understand?"**_

"I couldn't have done this without you two…"

Drake listened as the sound of the Heartless got louder, as the monsters got closer.

"I'm coming to see you guys again."

The Heartless all leaped into the air, aiming at Drake.

"I'm coming home."

Drake opened his eyes for one last second, as the darkness of the Heartless consumed him.

The last soldier of the Keyblade War died that day.

**. . .**

"Wait, Xehanort!"

Master Eraqus approached his old friend, Master Xehanort, from behind. Despite hearing his voice, the old master didn't stop walking to listen to Eraqus. Despite this, Eraqus continued. "There is a reason the precepts bar us from such knowledge." Eraqus finally asked the question that truly mattered, that got Xehanort to stop walking away.

"Why do you seek the X-Blade?"

Before Xehanort could respond, Eraqus continued. "Would you blanket all the worlds in darkness, reduce them to nothing?" His voice had become noticeably more accusing.

Xehanort didn't turn to face his old friend, but did respond. "But darkness did cover the world once, in legend." Xehanort slightly lifted his head.

"We know so little about the Keyblade War… only that it was just the beginning. Amidst that crisis a precious light was found." Xehanort turned his head slightly to look at Eraqus. "It is a curious tale… and one worth exploring." He looked ahead again and lifted his arms from behind him, raising them in front of him. "They say ruin brings about creation. So what then would another Keyblade War bring? When the darkness falls, will we be found worthy of the precious light the legend speaks of? I must have these answers!" Xehanort placed his hands behind his arched back once again.

"The X-Blade needs to be forged… and with it, the door to the Keyblade War unlocked!"

"Fool…" Eraqus stepped forward slightly, his anger growing. "You would risk an apocalypse out of sheer curiosity?" Eraqus pointed at Xehanort, who was once again looking back at Eraqus. "I will never allow it, Xehanort. Not while I live!"

Xehanort shook his head. "But once again, you have it all wrong, Eraqus." Xehanort fully turned around to face his old, now former friend in the eyes. "Darkness is a beginning, you see, not an end. At birth, every one of us emerges from darkness into a world of light, do we not?"

Eraqus shrugged Xehanort's words off. "Poetic excuses!" Xehanort then turned his back on Eraqus and started walking away again. Eraqus' fists began to clench. "If words won't dissuade you…"

A flash of light shot out of Eraqus' hand, summoning his Keyblade. The blade passed down from all the former masters of the Land of Departure. The Key to protecting this world. "…then only one thing will!" Eraqus charged at Xehanort, Keyblade in hand. Before he could strike, Xehanort had turned around, drawing his own Keyblade. An aura of darkness surrounded him as he shot two dark fireballs at Eraqus. The two blasts hit Eraqus directly, and he fell to his knees. As Xehanort approached the fallen master, Eraqus stabbed his Keyblade into the ground, darkness scorching his face. "That power… has the darkness taken you, Xehanort?"

Xehanort turned around, still holding his Keyblade. "Not your concern." Xehanort then walked out of the castle, leaving Eraqus on the ground in pain, thinking about what Xehanort had said to him.

"_**We know so little about the Keyblade War… only that it was just the beginning."**_

* * *

It's finally f**king OVER!

Well, thanks to everybody who has read this, reviewed it, liked it, hated it, and given me feedback.

Even though the story is over, reviews and tips on how I can improve are still appreciated.

I came into this with the intention that this would be the only story I write for this site. At this point, unless I come up with something in the future, it's going to stay that way.

So for the final time, baylaust out.


	14. Author's Note: What's Next?

Hello guys, this is baylaust. Long time no see. I wanted to thank all of my reviewers one last time for taking the time to review and read my crappily put together fanfic. I greatly appreciate both the positive and negative feedback for my story, and especially appreciate the input from the following people (their current usernames):

**Dracula X**

**Watanuki-Kun**

**Witch of Tragedies**

**Hat'N'Clogs**

**He's a hitman who's a monkey**

I had no intention of ever writing a fanfic again after this story, but now I've had a new idea for a story that I'd like to try out. It won't be a KH story though. It will be for one of my other favourite game series of all time: Mass Effect.

The story will be called "**Mass Effect: Special Forces**". It will follow an Alliance soldier's fights and struggles through the events of Mass Effect 3. Before I release it though, I'd still appreciate any and all reviews for this story, even though it's been long finished. Hope to see you all soon, and thanks for sticking with me.

baylaust out.


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